Reply #61: I hope you don't use this example. It DOES rain without clouds

[tommcintyre]

Well... at least according to NASA and Dr. Livingstone (I presume):

http://astrobiology.arc.nasa.gov/palebluedot/abstracts/toon.html
"...it is quite possible to have rain without clouds."

http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/l/livingstone/david/mission/chapter29.html
David Livingstone
Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa - Chapter 29.
"Humboldt has seen rain without clouds..."

Moral of the story: Absolutist thinking yields the same answer over and over again. Relativist thinking has a much higher probability of revealing the truth - whatever it may be.

Absolutist thinking is a good explanation of why there are so many Bush supporters, in spite of the facts.

Your post #45:
"Actually, it <the null hypothesis> is everything."
<This sounds pretty "absolutist" to me.>

I'm glad to see you responded positively to the post about alternatives to the null hypothesis - maybe there IS hope for you yet. ;)