Back when I was 106, and my only friend was one goldfish

[venta]

I just regaled ChrisC with a story about the lowly position of empiricists at the French court in the 17th or 18th century. The story goes like this:

All the finest minds of the era were busy debating why a bowl of water should become lighter when you put a goldfish into it. The debate was heated and wide-ranging. Until someone came along and said, er, actually, I don't think a bowl of water actually does get lighter when you add a goldfish. Look, I have here a bowl of water, a fish, and some scales.

His comments were immediately discounted because, well, who would be so low as to actually try the thing?

Which is a lovely story. But when I went a a-googling to try and find out whether I really meant the French court, and which century, and whether the man with the scales was someone whom history remembers...

Well, I can't find any evidence that I haven't just made the whole thing up. I'm sure I remember being told it in school. Has anyone else ever heard this story? If you heard it from me, it probably doesn't count.

Comments

[satyrica.livejournal.com]

I guess these things are relative to what you study! He's famous enough that being in thrall to him is a total cliche among students that deal with any kind of social, literary or epistemological theory (with good reason: I'm a shameless fan)- your parasite, however, would only elicit a Gallic shrug ;-)

[sammason.livejournal.com]

Unless the French person were a parent, or planning to be a parent. Iirc pregnant women are routinely screened for Toxo in France but that's not so here in Britain. Toxo is relatively prevalent in French people and that's probably due to eating lightly-cooked lamb.

[satyrica.livejournal.com]

sorry, i meant I hadn't heard of it, French parents may well be better informed!

[sammason.livejournal.com]

Oops I seem to have sounded a bit serious. This wasn't intentional. venta brings out my inner silly. Being English (are you?) I now think we should have a nice cup of tea.

[satyrica.livejournal.com]

mmmm tea :-)