This is similar to "Occam's Razor".http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam%27s_razor
Occam's razor, also Ockham's razor, is the principle that "entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily." It is apocryphally attributed to 14th-century English logician and Franciscan friar, William of Ockham. The principle states that the explanation of any phenomenon should make as few assumptions as possible, eliminating those that make no difference in the observable predictions of the explanatory hypothesis or theory.
Take the case of "crop circles". There are at least two KNOWN ways in which strange patterns can be introduced into standing vegetation:
1. Human vandalism
2. Wind vortices (often called "dust devils")
If I looked hard enough, I might find a couple more.
These prosaic explanations can easily explain all "crop circles". There has never been a single case of a "crop circle" that could not be covered by such prosaic explanations. Therefore, by "Occam's Razor", we have no reason to invoke exotic or occult explanations such as extraterrestrials and the like. These are new "entities" that are unneeded.
It is that simple.
Off Topic » in reply to Because some minds are bigger than others...
"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof." - Marcello Truzzi
The whole thread (61 posts)
- Why do some people always look for exotic solutions to mysteries?
- re: Why not?
- Because it's fun for them. A concept with which you may not be familiar.
- I like exotic positions
- Because there is more than what can be proven
- Because some minds are bigger than others...
- "We are now on track for a record year. " (for ufos)
- "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof." - Marcello Truzzi
- Because..