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Mon 30 Nov, 2015 01:14 am
Does ferrets here mean "deceitful tricks"?
Context:
"Darvin chased God out of his old haunts in biology, and he scurried for safety down the rabbit hole of physics. The laws and constants of the universe, we were told, are too good to be true: a setup, carefully tuned to allow the eventual evolution of life. It needed a good physicist to show us the fallocy, and Victor Stenger lucidly does so. The faithful won't change their minds, off course (that is whaat faith neans), but Victor Stenger drives a pack of energetic ferrets down the last major bolt hole and God is running out of refuges in which to hide. I learned an enormous amount from this splendid book."
-Dawkins
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Well, I got this: ferret - A domesticated polecat used chiefly for catching rabbits. It is typically albino in coloration, but sometimes brown. See polecat-ferret.(Oxford Dict)
Because God was hiding in the rabbit hole, Stenger used many powerful skills (energetic ferrets) to catch him. Am I on the right track?
@oristarA,
Quote:Stenger used many powerful skills (energetic ferrets) to catch him. Am I on the right track?
You got it. Many powerful/ persuasive arguments.
The ferret chases the rabbit out of the last hole (the other ones have been blocked up) and the rabbit bolts into the catcher's net.
@McTag,
Cool.Thanks.
Does "a setup" refer to "a device"?
Wow, now that'sa metaphor!!! Not decelitful tricks,ño. Ferretts are very small very focused, very effective hunters. He means metaphorically god has been catured androuted out and theists discredited from every possible position they could take.
@oristarA,
Could be.
A plan carefully constructed to bring about a particular result: in this case, the evolution of life.
Sorry, not evolution, existence.
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