Rani reads that microorganisms are what set milk into curd
Rani reads that microorganisms are what set milk into curd. She says curd must then be dangerous to eat, since germs make people ill. Suresh says that is not true of every microorganism. Who is right?
Who do you think is right? Pick one.
The answer: Suresh is right
Why
Rani has reasoned properly from what she was taught — if germs cause illness, and curd is full of them, her conclusion follows. The flaw is in the starting rule, not in her logic. 'Microorganism' names a whole world of tiny living things, and only a small share of them harm us. The bacteria that turn milk into curd feed on milk sugar and make it sour and thick, which actually keeps harmful kinds from settling in; that is why curd lasts longer than the milk it came from. Others give us bread its rise, and idli and dosa batter its bubbles. Test: leave milk and curd out on the same shelf for a day and see which one spoils first. Suresh is right: the honest rule is that SOME microorganisms harm us, and a rule with 'all' in it needs only one exception to fall.
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