Enter, Reloader!

[Dark Jaguar]

Some newbie is cruisin' the forums. Post! We're desperate here!

[Great Rumbler]

He's not real!!

[TheBiggah]

Are any of us real?

[TheBiggah]

...I mean really, are we?

[The Former DMiller]

That depends. How would you define "real"? Am I real simply because I think I exist, or is there some process that determines whether or not I'm real?

[Dark Jaguar]

If you are able to think of the question, then DUH.

Stupid philosophy....

[Great Rumbler]

Quit saying crazy things, figments of my imagination!

[etoven]

Think of it "Reloader", come on clasic bot name. It's just looking for a thread to drop some pron and then leave for ever.

[Dark Jaguar]

I am a nihilist. I don't believe in anything!

GR: Well this message board exists at least.

DJ: Well prove it. Shows me an evidence that is the message board exists.

GR: Well, look at it. It's right there.

DJ: Oh rights...

[TheBiggah]

DJ, you're just a brain sitting in a jar on a table with electrodes that stimulate you into thinking you're actually having experieces...

[Dark Jaguar]

Evidence? :D

And that's the point. The evidence all points to the existance of a full on reality, and none points to that reality being an illusion. Therefor, until someone feeds me a blue pill or some other evidence otherwise, it's unreasonable to assume otherwise.

[Captain_Rush]

I know DJ, DJ is awesome...END OF LINE.

[Great Rumbler]

Actually, there's no proof at all that reality as we [or I] know it exists. Anytime someone presents you with evidence, it could merely be you imagining that someone gave you evidence. Evidence you obtain yourself is based on interaction with the enviroment through nerve impulses, which can be faked. While you dream, it often seems to you that what you are dreaming is real and it is not until you wake up that the realise that it is not [this is not always true].

Therefore: We're all living in the Matrix, man!!

[Dark Jaguar]

It "could be" does not equate to "is". Science isn't math, "proof" is what math deals with. That's where you can prove things absolutely (you can't square the circle). Science is, and always has been, tentative. It bases it's conclusion on the best currently available evidence. As such, all evidence points to reality NOT being an illusion. Absence of evidence IS evidence of absence (though not PROOF of absence). We MIGHT be in the matrix, but without any evidence to point to it, there's no reason to think that's the case. This is tentative though, so the moment you show me Neo or an Agent, this will change.

Examples to show my point: We have no absolute proof of gravity. Every instance of something falling could merely be a coincidence, chance happening, or perhaps it was "intelligent falling" to quote the Onion, and invisible fairies drag everything to the ground on their own whims, and without them nothing would ever fall. However, there's no evidence of that being the case. We base our knowledge that gravity exists on these observations and that gravity is the most probable conclusion to reach. Is it perfect? No, but it's the best method humanity has yet developed for finding things out. Further more, if it's true that there are invisible fairies puling everything together but there's no way to tell, that is, they have no effect at all on us in any way and they operate exactly the same as one would expect if gravity was the correct hypothesis, then it really doesnt' matter anyway does it? Might as well live our lives as though there are no fairies. I have an invisible dragon in my car hole. Prove me wrong.

So again, evidence?

[Captain_Rush]

I concur! *puts a monocle on*

[Great Rumbler]

By jove! *monocle falls off*

[Dark Jaguar]

This is my third monocle this week. I simple must stop being so horrified.