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On the Origin of Species: Turtwig, Grotle and Torterra (view source)
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[[File:Turtwig-grotle-torterra.png|200px|thumb|Turtwig (middle), Grotle (left) and Torterra (right)]]There's a story about a famous scientist – some sources say it was {{wp|Bertrand Russell}}, others that it was {{wp|William James}} – giving a public lecture on astronomy. He described to the audience how the Earth orbits the Sun, and how the Sun, in turn, orbits the center of the galaxy. At the end, he was approached by an old lady. "Everything that you've told us is rubbish," she said. "The world is actually a flat plate on the back of a giant turtle." The scientist, deciding to humor her, responded: "And what does this turtle stand on?" "Ah," said the old woman. "The turtle stands on the back of another, far larger turtle." "In that case," the scientist countered, "what does the second turtle stand on?" "It's no use | [[File:Turtwig-grotle-torterra.png|200px|thumb|Turtwig (middle), Grotle (left) and Torterra (right)]]There's a story about a famous scientist – some sources say it was {{wp|Bertrand Russell}}, others that it was {{wp|William James}} – giving a public lecture on astronomy. He described to the audience how the Earth orbits the Sun, and how the Sun, in turn, orbits the center of the galaxy. At the end, he was approached by an old lady. "Everything that you've told us is rubbish," she said. "The world is actually a flat plate on the back of a giant turtle." The scientist, deciding to humor her, responded: "And what does this turtle stand on?" "Ah," said the old woman. "The turtle stands on the back of another, far larger turtle." "In that case," the scientist countered, "what does the second turtle stand on?" "It's no use trying to argue," the old woman replied. "It's turtles all the way down!" | ||
This story is much loved by scientists, in part because it's a good illustration of the problem of {{wp|infinite regress}}, a type of {{wp|logical fallacy}} where the proposed solution to a problem ''itself'' requires a similar solution, and so on to infinity. But it's of interest to us because it illustrates the pervasiveness of an ancient myth upon which a family of Pokémon is based. | This story is much loved by scientists, in part because it's a good illustration of the problem of {{wp|infinite regress}}, a type of {{wp|logical fallacy}} where the proposed solution to a problem ''itself'' requires a similar solution, and so on to infinity. But it's of interest to us because it illustrates the pervasiveness of an ancient myth upon which a family of Pokémon is based. | ||