Summations Only

Don't you see the inherent problem shown by these quotes of yours? Can't you see that you simply lack the education and experience, as admitted in the first quote, necessary to make the pronouncement in the second? Don't you understand that it would take an expert, i.e. someone with multiple relevant degrees and a good amount of experience working in the field, to make that kind of pronouncement?I'm a reasonably intelligent guy who is interested in physics and cosmology, as you seem to be. It wouldn't occur to me in a million years that I could find errors in the work of actual practicing physicists or cosmologists, or biologists or plumbers or event planners, for that matter, without years of study from where I am today.OK, maybe only weeks of study in the cases of the plumber or event planner.

There is a huge difference between amateur astronomers peering through telescopes and a layman claiming to understand cosmology better than cosmologists. You know this, right? To the extent that your point about the amateur scientist has merit, it moves the bar from 10.0 kilometers over your head to 9.9 kilometers over your head.I mean, do you really think you understand cosmology enough to correct cosmologists? I don't mean this as an insult. You may be the brightest guy or girl in the world, but you would still need the background to be able to do that. That's obvious, yes?BTW, no offense meant to amateur astronomers.

Let's stipulate that there are amateur scientists making contributions to theoretical physics and cosmology, after putting in "tons of hours". Are you one of them? Have you put in tons of hours? Do you have the math background necessary to make contributions?

Nice! That's what I've been trying to say, to no avail.

My guess is that if he responds to the parable, he will focus on how the analogy breaks down, not with DT and the customer, but with the auto mechanic and cosmologists. Auto mechanics actually do know what they're talking about; cosmologists don't. There are no controversies about how a carburetor works; there are controversies about how the universe works. We won't hear a peep out of him about the actual point to the post.