(From The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe)
What is a logical fallacy?
All arguments have the same basic structure: A therefore B. They begin with one or more premises (A), which is a fact or assumption upon which the argument is based. They then apply a logical principle (therefore) to arrive at a conclusion (B). An example of a logical principle is that of equivalence. For example, if you begin with the premises that A=B and B=C, you can apply the logical principle of equivalence to conclude that A=C. A logical fallacy is a false or incorrect logical principle. An argument that is based upon a logical fallacy is therefore not valid. It is important to note that if the logic of an argument is valid then the conclusion must also be valid, which means that if the premises are all true then the conclusion must also be true…
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A=B, B=C. A=C.
There are numerous stories and legends of immortality ranging from before the Qin dynasty through the exploration days of Europe. The ancient city of Troy was once a legend told by Homer, but today archaeologists are excavating the thousand yr old ruins of Troy. As such would it be wrong to conclude that a secret of longevity exists?
Merlin,
There actually is quite a bit of knowledge about the “secret” to a longer life and a lot of it has to do with diet and exercise. In addition, the science of DNA is slowly learning about the DNA switches in the body that lead to aging and death. If these scientists eventually learn the complex key to turning off these genetic switches and stopping the aging process while improving the immune system’s ability to fight disease, we may see life spans increase considerably but will these discoveries be extended to the entire human population or just the few that have the most money to pay for the DNA manipulation that turns these aging switches off?
I have read that science now considerers aging a disease.