Re: hmmm... Nostradamus

From: hal@finney.org
Date: Wed Sep 12 2001 - 11:26:19 MDT


Not that Nostradamus deserves any credibility, but that particular
quote is not from Nostradamus at all. It was invented by a guy named
Neil Marshall who was criticizing the vagueness of Nostradamus's
quatrains. He meant it as an example of a bunch of nonsense
words that could be interpreted in hundreds of different ways.
http://www.ed.brocku.ca/~nmarshal/nostradamus.htm:

   If I make say a thousand prophecies that are fairly abstract for
   example:

   In the City of God there will be a great thunder, Two brothers torn
   apart by Chaos, while the fortress endures, the great leader will
   succumb

   Well let us analyse this. For Example what does City of God
   mean? It could be Mecca, Medina, Rome, Jeruselum, Salt Lake City,
   or any holy city depending on your religion. What do I mean by
   thunder--a storm? War? EarthQuake? lots of stuff can be described by
   thunder. There are a lot of two brothers on this world (I think the
   Number runs among the Billions) and fortress edure's what--Besiegement,
   Famine, etc? What Great Leader? How will he succumb? To what?

   Now let the prophecy rest for a few years. Add a couple thousand
   more. Eventually, one of them will fit close enought with events
   that have happened in the future that the prophecy will appear to
   come true.

Ironically, exactly what he predicted has come true. No, not the part
about the "two brothers". The part about letting the prophecy sit for
a while until an event happens that can be interpreted as corresponding
to the vague wording.

Hal



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