The importance of witness testimony

[_Runtu]

My dad's stepfather repeatedly told a story of having seen lightning strike a haystack on the family farm in West Virginia when he was in his 20s. He said that after he and his brother put the fire out, they found among the ashes two lightning bolts: twisted pieces of metal. The very lightning bolts that had struck the haystack. He examined them, touched them (they were still hot), and he knew he had seen lightning bolts.

He told this story to my dad when my dad was in his teens. He repeated it to my mother when she first married my dad, and we grandkids heard that story many times. No one could convince him that what he had seen could not possibly have been lightning bolts. He never wavered from his story. He was an honest man, a church member in good standing known for his integrity.

Did he really find two lightning bolts? Or did he see something that he interpreted as being lightning bolts? He saw and hefted the lightning bolts, he never recanted, and his brother corroborated his story, so his testimony was obviously true. Right?

[_skippy the dead]

My dad's stepfather repeatedly told a story of having seen lightning strike a haystack on the family farm in West Virginia when he was in his 20s. He said that after he and his brother put the fire out, they found among the ashes two lightning bolts: twisted pieces of metal. The very lightning bolts that had struck the haystack. He examined them, touched them (they were still hot), and he knew he had seen lightning bolts.

He told this story to my dad when my dad was in his teens. He repeated it to my mother when she first married my dad, and we grandkids heard that story many times. No one could convince him that what he had seen could not possibly have been lightning bolts. He never wavered from his story. He was an honest man, a church member in good standing known for his integrity.

Did he really find two lightning bolts? Or did he see something that he interpreted as being lightning bolts? He saw and hefted the lightning bolts, he never recanted, and his brother corroborated his story, so his testimony was obviously true. Right?

Obviously! I am now altering my view on what I know a lightning bolt to be. Thanks for repeating this testimony. I will now go and tell others.

[_beastie]

Scientists who ignore this compelling evidence are simply prejudiced and unwilling to consider this evidence because they are protecting their power base.

[_Ray A]

Did he really find two lightning bolts? Or did he see something that he interpreted as being lightning bolts? He saw and hefted the lightning bolts, he never recanted, and his brother corroborated his story, so his testimony was obviously true. Right?

I wouldn't say obvious at all. Since he was the sole witness it makes it more difficult to verify.

[_beastie]

I wouldn't say obvious at all. Since he was the sole witness it makes it more difficult to verify.

So if TWO people had witnessed this, then you'd consider it serious evidence of the nature of lightning bolts?

[_Ray A]

So if TWO people had witnessed this, then you'd consider it serious evidence of the nature of lightning bolts?

Not at all. Many factors have to be considered. Do you know how courts assess evidence?

[_Runtu]

I wouldn't say obvious at all. Since he was the sole witness it makes it more difficult to verify.

So if TWO people had witnessed this, then you'd consider it serious evidence of the nature of lightning bolts?

Actually, if you read carefully, there were two witnesses: grandpa and his brother. Both went to their graves bearing witness of the event.

[_Who Knows]

My dad's stepfather repeatedly told a story of having seen lightning strike a haystack on the family farm in West Virginia when he was in his 20s. He said that after he and his brother put the fire out, they found among the ashes two lightning bolts: twisted pieces of metal. The very lightning bolts that had struck the haystack. He examined them, touched them (they were still hot), and he knew he had seen lightning bolts.

He told this story to my dad when my dad was in his teens. He repeated it to my mother when she first married my dad, and we grandkids heard that story many times. No one could convince him that what he had seen could not possibly have been lightning bolts. He never wavered from his story. He was an honest man, a church member in good standing known for his integrity.

Did he really find two lightning bolts? Or did he see something that he interpreted as being lightning bolts? He saw and hefted the lightning bolts, he never recanted, and his brother corroborated his story, so his testimony was obviously true. Right?

These witnesses will forever be a thorn in the critics' side.

[_beastie]

Not at all. Many factors have to be considered. Do you know how courts assess evidence?

I was just wondering since you only focused only on him being the SOLE witness.

Speaking of courts, eye witness testimony, despite its cache in the public eye, is known to be quite unreliable.

[_Ray A]

An interesting phenomenon is ball lightning: http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/moments/s127660.htm

At first it wasn't taken seriously by scientists, but with growing reports they began to investigate it. Here is a related article from National Geographic: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news ... tning.html

In this case the number of witnesses motivated scientific investigation. If what your grandpa and brother experienced occurred widely, as in the case of ball lightning, then it would warrant investigation, but I haven't seen reports like this before. I did research ball lightning years ago.