Why again indeed

[~sillycow~]

Why is it when someone says there are milllions and billions of stars in the sky - we believe them but if a sign says "wet paint" we have to touch whatever has been painted 'just to check'?

[rojash]

Perhaps it's because those millions and billions of stars remain for millions and billions of years, whereas wet paint is usually dry paint within a few hours? Maybe the signs shoudl read "This paint was wet on <date> at <time>" :-)

[rojash]

ps That reminds of those notes people leave "Back in a couple of hours".

[mibn2cweus]

This is the deference between beliefs and knowledge. Knowledge is belief verified. Verification involves linking facts to the perceptual level. Facts that cannot be verified perceptually can still be verified though a process of reasoning. Reasoning is the application of logic to the thought process and involves linking the abstractions we hold mentally (Sign says wet paint. Wet paint sticks to what it comes in contact with. Signs are postings of words which sometimes describe facts) to their concretes (in this case wet or dry paint) in reality.

Touching �wet� paint to see if its dry is how we learn to discriminate reality from what we are told.

[rojash]

mibn2cweus, phew!

[mibn2cweus]

rojash, Yeah, I had to wipe after that one.

Oh! You were remarking about my previous answer. Sorry about that. It should probably be wiped as well.

[gastwo]

Also it's easier to touch paint than count stars...!

[Grunty]

This is similar to the times when the police have to close a road because of a suspect bomb or some other emergency. A high proportion of people have to stop and ask "Can't I go that way?", as if he is standing on a road junction miles from anywhere, cold, wet and hungry, because he enjoys it.

[rob.hine]

NO, people are stupid! Plain and simple.I used to do a fair bit of welding/brazing etc. My gaffer-who has letters after his name-so technically shouldn't be described as stupid, would often come up behind me whilst i was welding, wait for me to stop, i would know what to expect so would say "don't touch that i've just welded it" he would say a few words and then...yes you've guessed it, "oh that looks good" AAGH THAT WAS F***ING 'OT" As he ran his fingers over the weld! He'd do much the same when i'd just finished painting something, although it would be easier on his fingers, i'd be more annoyed on account of the ******** up finish. Stupid is as stupid does...