• dudinax@programming.dev
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    5 months ago

    The respectable probability estimates range from astronomically unlikely to merely unlikely. In other words, we don’t have incontrovertible ways of calculating the probability.

    While it’s not great or convincing evidence, it’s the only physical evidence I know about.

      • dudinax@programming.dev
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        5 months ago

        If you can’t calculate the probability, then you can’t rationally reach the conclusion that the probability is very low.

        • fine_sandy_bottom@discuss.tchncs.de
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          5 months ago

          Of course you can.

          I’m unable to calculate the probability that the moon will fall out of the sky tonight but I know that the probability is very low.

          • dudinax@programming.dev
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            5 months ago

            You can make the simple inductive calculation that the probability is 1 / (total number of nights moon didn’t fall out of sky).

            You can also look at the total energy needed to de-orbit the moon and come up with a frequencie for events at least of that magnitude.

            They are easy calculations and they both give infinitesimal results. If that weren’t true, there’d be no way to tell if your intuition were correct.