Preuve, proof

" You all remember the story of the flea, and of the scientist who tries to identify whether it is able to hear, and with which means. The idea is to say "jump", see the flea jumping, and severe diverse organs until it no longer jumps. The scientist cuts the fleas legs, says "jump" and the flea does not jump. Conclusion: the flea hears with its legs.

Of course this is stupid (although true however, at least in the case of locusts instead of fleas: they do hear with their legs). And we need to avoid this unfortunate misunderstanding of what a proof is. "

extrait d'un courriel d'
Antoine Danchin
Honorary Professor at the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine of the
University of Hong Kong
Scientific Advisor at the Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique