What is valid evidence in the natural world?

[WallFlowerActive]

I was wondering about what is valid evidence?
 
I guess it depends on the context.
 
I believe most videos attempting to document the lives and habits of penguins for example are truthful.  Despite living in the Midwest, I can go to the zoo and see penguins.  I hope they are real by watching them eat and poop.  From the chain of custody of caretakers and vets.  From how they keep and feed penguins, I assume the claims where they live in the wild are truthful.
 
What about video that isn’t validated by anything physical.  I guess you could argue about giant squids in they have recently been documented?  But even they wash up on shore from time to time.  
 
I’m not a big fan of video as evidenced. Especially in this day and age.  Where I grow up with the knowledge many things existed without having been documented on film.  But through zoos and whatnot, I had a good general representation of species exotic to me.  
 
On the flip side, I have argued with people that will not accept something if it isn’t on video.  I get the need to combat things that might simply be a fisherman tale or campfire story.  Seems some people make a living on tales on cryptids that always get away.  But I can show you video of Smurfs, are they flesh and blood?
 
Even with something like deer tracks, I saw a deer before I ever saw deer tracks.  Then made the connection.  Then it was validated when I saw a deer actually make tracks.
 
But then there is the rightly so flat earth argument you shouldn’t believe just because you were told.  Flat earthers will go on and claim the moon is a projection.  How do you prove otherwise.  I can’t touch the moon.  I can’t bring you the moon.  All I can do is document the moon and show you why I think it’s a solid physical shape.  Just present images showing shadowing.


 
I can show the moon blocks the view of the stars or even planets on the rare occasion.  But I’m too lazy to document the rare event of the moon passing in front of Mars.  And trying to get the moon passing in front of the stars results in way overexposing the moon.  
 
I can refer to radar surveys and bouncing shortwave radio waves off the moon.  But I don’t have a radio astronomy set or a shortwave set to operate.
 
I guess it comes down to understanding things less abstract to us like animals need to be presented as a very physical specimen you can actually examine.  Other things that are abstract or ridiculous large and far away take a little reasoning with results that can be reproduced as predicted supported by a group of people interested in truth and not perpetuating a fraud or hoax.

[UltraBudgie]

I guess it comes down to understanding things less abstract to us like animals need to be presented as a very physical specimen you can actually examine.  Other things that are abstract or ridiculous large and far away take a little reasoning with results that can be reproduced as predicted supported by a group of people interested in truth and not perpetuating a fraud or hoax.

Even that might not be enough to "prove" something to the skeptical. For example, there is a theory that the species currently known as the black-and-white giant panda is actually the result of a secret 19th century Chinese breeding experiment.

Why are there no pandas in historical Chinese art?

What do you do in a situation like that? Lack of evidence doesn't "prove" anything, but it also doesn't "disprove" anything. You can always roll the doubt back to another level. Find a Sasquatch? Perhaps it is a clever decoy genetically engineered by a super-secret advanced government program! Or like Flat Earth: data doesn't match up? Well maybe it's all a hologram!

[WallFlowerActive]

Even that might not be enough to "prove" something to the skeptical. For example, there is a theory that the species currently known as the black-and-white giant panda is actually the result of a secret 19th century Chinese breeding experiment.

Why are there no pandas in historical Chinese art?

What do you do in a situation like that? Lack of evidence doesn't "prove" anything, but it also doesn't "disprove" anything. You can always roll the doubt back to another level. Find a Sasquatch? Perhaps it is a clever decoy genetically engineered by a super-secret advanced government program! Or like Flat Earth: data doesn't match up? Well maybe it's all a hologram!

I think I’m more in the camp of this.  People find prints of Bigfoot.  Ok.  Things easily faked. I think the prints can’t be validated unless a flesh and bone specimen of a Bigfoot is found for validation.  Otherwise, the prints could be from a critter three foot tall where one sex has ridiculously large feet and the opposite sex has feet correctly proportioned.

[Tecate]

Meh, UFOs, USOs, aliens…

I have never seen one, so they don’t exist. 

I have seen pictures of Narwhals, but I haven’t seen one so I’m kind of on the fence with that one. 

Do I doubt others and slam them for their beliefs in things like God, demons and angels?

meh… I have better things to do.

As usual, my 2 pesos…

Tecate

[UltraBudgie]

There is a weird furry thing going on with Bigfoot.

I think the only thing proven is that people are strange.

[WallFlowerActive]

[Image: https://denyignorance.com/uploader/image...E9-oL.jpeg]

There is a weird furry thing going on with Bigfoot.

I think the only thing proven is that people are strange.

I was called chewy in high school after Chewbacca.  When I cut grass without a shirt, the Bigfoot sightings in my neighbourhood go up? When I go to the beach, people ask why I’m wearing a sweater?  

 Wonder if I have a shot?  

Reminds me of the old Midwest joke.  The moon landing was faked. WWF wrestling is real and not staged.

[argentus]

These things that we talk about but cannot confirm within the parameters of vetted information.  So what to do?   More research.   Again.   Until you have compiled enough information and data that you are convinced.   That's all there is.    

Until the government comes clean, we will never be certain about UFO/EBE, etc.  BUT I am.   I have done enough research, talked to enough people in person that  I believe.   That's all there is.  That which you perceive and collate with you own eyes and brain.