Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Bo Fowler on February 19, 2013 at 3:46pm

As one of my students recently remarked: just because something is inconceivable does not mean that it is impossible.

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Permalink Reply by Gregg R Thomas on February 19, 2013 at 5:44pm

How can a concept be inconceivable if that concept can be a subject of discussion?

Wouldn't that be a conceived concept?

So once conceived the "something" can no longer be described as "inconceivable".

That of course doesn't bring the "something" into the realm of possibility.

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Permalink Reply by Bo Fowler on February 19, 2013 at 5:59pm

A concept may be inconceivable to people with very different types of brains etc. Anyway I'm not sure she was referring to a concept...

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Permalink Reply by Unseen on February 19, 2013 at 6:29pm

What else is there to refer to other than concepts or something that can be conceived?

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Permalink Reply by Gregg R Thomas on February 19, 2013 at 11:17pm

@ Bo Bowler,

A concept may be inconceivable to people with very different types of brains etc

can you explain what you mean by that?

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Permalink Reply by James Cox on February 19, 2013 at 11:27pm

"different types of brains"

I have had experience with many people that seem to in very different ways than myself.

One friend could play chess blindfolded, with a very good showing of skill at the game.

Another, at memory skills.

Me with some learned skill at visualizing in 3d, and slices of higher deminsional data representaions.

Others seeing patterns that are mostly invisible to the rest of us.

My wife's music skill, playing and composition.

Our father's art ability, making him a well known painter locally.

But are they of 'different minds', or minds with dufferent skills that developed over time in a context?

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Permalink Reply by MikeLong on February 19, 2013 at 10:00pm

The most common meaning for the word "inconceivable" is idiomatic. It means "very unlikely". If something is literally inconceivable, it couldn't even have a word to name it.

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Permalink Reply by Gregg R Thomas on February 19, 2013 at 11:11pm

Inconceivable: (adjective) not conceivable

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Permalink Reply by Heather Spoonheim on February 16, 2013 at 3:13pm

Let's take psychic phenomenon.  In general, this is not something considered 'impossible' - mostly because it is not something that is very well defined.  In the case of 'mind reading', well, we can communicate in a lot of non-verbal ways - that's probably why our faces have evolved they way they have, but even the way you rest your hands or feet says a lot.  Some people may feel they are really good at 'picking up on the feelings' of others.  In reality they may be slightly talented at reading body language.  When objective measures are set up for these abilities, however, all 'psychic' powers seem to just disappear.

If you get the feeling that science doesn't accept the possibility of your situation, it is likely because your particular claim has been investigated and shown, repeatedly, to not hold up to scrutiny.  If you feel that science doesn't know anything about your particular situation, then perhaps you should write about it anonymously and tell some relevant scientists about it so they can start keeping an eye out for this phenomenon.

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Permalink Reply by Barbara Gant on February 16, 2013 at 5:31pm

You are a very cool young lady. I always enjoy reading your responses. Thanks

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Permalink Reply by Heather Spoonheim on February 16, 2013 at 5:41pm

Thanks so much!  There aren't many women around here who can call me young, :D

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Permalink Reply by Simon Paynton on February 17, 2013 at 5:39am

Heather, I had a dream about you last night, is that OK?  I think you must represent an archetype in my psyche.  Yesterday I had been carrying on in a forthright manner, telling someone about my theory.  (which is hanging together.) 

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