I've always argued that clusters of plane accidents are reassuring signs that they truly are random. If plane crashes happened with precise, predictable regularity, once every three weeks, say, then that would be a sign that there was some sort of terrible uncontrollable force at work in the world.
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I've always argued that clusters of plane accidents are reassuring signs that they truly are random. If plane crashes happened with precise, predictable regularity, once every three weeks, say, then that would be a sign that there was some sort of terrible uncontrollable force at work in the world.
This is such a good point. Sometimes I have to explain to people that coincidences aren't weird. It would be weird if there no coincidences.
But that usually detracts from some of their spiritual/political beliefs and its quickly dismissed.
We thought solar eclipses and new moons were signs of terrible uncontrollable forces, too, but we know better now.
AFAIK, we never thought that of solar maximums, so if plane crashes happened every three weeks, I doubt we would think them signs of terrible forces.
Also, I would know when not to book a flight, as would everybody else.
We thought solar eclipses and new moons were signs of terrible uncontrollable forces, too, but we know better now.
I don't think that eclipses are in any sense "controllable".