Question

Almost every human being would agree that 2 + 2 != 5. In a sense, this is a logical impossibility.

However, almost every human being would also agree that pigs can't fly. Some, however, are adamant in suggesting that this event still has a non zero probability. But why is this? Secondly, what does it mean for it to be the case? If this is by definition breaking a physical law, shouldn't its physical probability be 0? If it is not 0, what should its probability be?

Let's say that one asserts that the probability of pigs flying is 1 in 10^50. I can then come up with an example that has the same probability: a person predicting a number that is spit out by a random number generator that generates a random number between 1 in 10^50. Of course, the difference would be that predicting a number between 1 in 10^50 would not break any known physical laws. But pigs flying would. No matter how low of a number you come up with to represent the probability of pigs flying, I can come up with a similar example with the same probability except that the example would not break any physical laws.

So what is the correct answer to this? Or is this very question assuming that there is a correct answer? After all, in a way, the concept of probability itself seems manmade and subject to interpretation as compared to say the laws of physics.

Answer 1

Probability is a tool used to study likelihood, and while the probability of pigs flying is extremely low, it is not necessarily 0 as probability does not predict short-term results. Probability is a manmade concept subject to interpretation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The concept of probability is a mathematical tool used to study randomness and the likelihood of events occurring. When it comes to the probability of pigs flying, it is important to understand that probability is based on the long-term relative frequency of an event. While the probability of pigs flying is extremely low, it is not necessarily 0 because probability does not predict short-term results. It is possible to assign a very small probability to pigs flying, but this does not mean it is breaking a physical law or that the probability should be 0. Probability is a manmade concept that is subject to interpretation and can vary depending on the context.