Imagine the following scenario: an alien (if such a thing exists) lands on earth and walks into the Sistine Chapel (Vatican City). He sees an incredibly beautiful painting on the ceiling and asks a local: "Who made this work of art?"
The local says "Well, that was Michelangelo who painted it."
"Who's this Michelangelo? I want to meet him and tell him how much I like it. I would like to take it home with me,"
The local laughs. 'This is crazy! Michelangelo is dead, you can't meet him'
The alien says, 'But how do you *know* that Michelangelo painted this? Is it written somewhere on the painting?'
The local is surprised. 'No, of course not! Painters in those days didn't sign their works.'
'So how do you know that he painted it?
‘Well, it’s obvious! The style is his. No-one else at that time painted that way.’
‘That is not conclusive evidence. We from Planet X demand proof! Where is his body?’
The local takes the alien to Michelangelo’s tomb in the the Church of Santa Croce in Florence. The tomb is of course sealed. ‘How do you know that it is Michelangelo in the tomb? How can you be sure? Where is the evidence?’
The local guide is beginning to get irritated with the alien. ‘We don’t need any evidence, it is common knowledge. The facts are all written in a book. And even if you could see inside the tomb you would only see his bones’
‘Bones ???! That doesn’t prove anything at all. Who wrote this book? Where is he?’
‘He’s dead now. But never mind, everything is recorded in the –‘
‘That is NOT evidence!! Anyone can write a book, and say this person did this and that! You still have not given me *any proof * that your Michelangelo even existed!! ’
‘Listen, alien, if you don’t want to believe me, ask someone else. Everyone in Rome knows,…’
‘How can they know for sure? You earthlings are absolutely illogical! None have you have even seen Michelangelo…..you have absolutely no reason to believe that Michelangelo ever existed, let alone painted that beautiful painting… ‘
‘You silly alien – everyone knows Michelangelo existed and painted that! He did lots of paintings and sculptures all over Italy, he’s famous!’
‘Never heard of him. You know what I think?’
What?’ says the local, curious.
‘No-one painted it! it just gradually appeared over time. There’s absolutely no reason to believe that anyone painted it at all!’
The Italian laughs. ‘That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard! So illogical! Paintings don’t just appear on ceilings overnight!!’
The alien looks at the Italian scornfully. ‘Not overnight, but over centuries and centuries. Maybe even thousands of years. It happened ever so slowly. You Earthlings just have no way to explain how the painting got there, so you invent someone called Michelangelo!
First give me the evidence. You Earthlings need to learn how to think critically and logically….’