Irregular Webcomic! #1953

Since they're discussing myths from Greek mythology, I figured the next logical thing would be something along similar lines. The Sirens are mythical half-woman-half-bird creatures which inhabit seaside rocks and sing such seductive songs that they lure any sailors who hear them to draw ever nearer, ultimately dashing their ships and themselves to destruction on the rocks.

2019-04-14 Rerun commentary: There's an interesting layering of truth levels going on here.

Sirens lure sailors to their deaths. True or false?

True in the sense that Greek mythology does tell us that this is indeed what sirens do. It's more true than, for example, "Sirens eat mangoes and play air hockey." And even more true than "Sirens exist in reality," which is close to if not the most untrue statement we can make about Sirens.

But Greek mythology applies to a certain historical period. Perhaps it's even more true to cast it in the past tense and say "Thousands of years ago, Sirens lured sailors to their deaths".

On the other hand of course, Sirens don't exist and never have, so in that sense the statement that "Sirens lure sailors to their deaths" is patently false. So (where the word "Siren" refers to a half-woman-half-bird creature, not a modern device for making loud noises)):

Most false: Sirens exist in reality.
More true: Sirens eat mangoes and play air hockey.
More true: Sirens lure sailors to their deaths.
More true: Thousands of years ago, Sirens lured sailors to their deaths.
Most true: According to Greek mythology, the fictional Sirens lured sailors to their deaths.

True/false is not always a strict dichotomy. In complex contexts, statements can be true in one sense but false in another, and to differing levels.