The Inevitability of Improbability

@Edgar_Tamarian, I was absent for a while when you first described yourself on an introduction thread. So this is my belated welcome to you for joining Peaceful Science.

In order better to understand where you are coming from, I just now re-read that introduction thread in which you wrote this:

Am I understanding you correctly? It sounds like you said that you are self-taught and “understand all the concepts in biology”—and that you understand “whose arguments are strong.” I took multiple courses in biology (long ago) and have been reading a lot of biology papers, books, and tutorials in the roughly half-century since my formal coursework. Yet, I feel like I understand only a very small fraction of “all of the concepts in biology.” Yes, I can often determine the stronger argument when I observe discussions and debates between people of widely different academic credentials and professional biological research experiences (e.g., between an evolutionary biology professor and a family practice physician.) On the other hand, when the parties are much better matched, I often can’t personally evaluate the merits of their arguments. Some of those technical topics go too far beyond my limited knowledge. Thus, based upon my own personal experiences, I found your aforementioned post surprising.

Even in my own fields of linguistics and Biblical theology, I certainly don’t understand “all of the concepts.” This is especially true for developments in those fields since my retirement. So I just wanted to ask: Did I perhaps misunderstand you?

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