lemit Posted April 29, 2009 Report Share Posted April 29, 2009 This is something I've wanted to do for a long time. Over the years, I've come to love (as a journalist, historian, and editor) the very strange things people strongly believe is science. I'd like to create a repository of all those things, or at least as many as people can think of and support. I don't want to simply replicate the general "Strange Claims Forum." I love it. I want this to be an examination of those claims that have for some reason gained some scientific community traction in support of their popular belief. That might be pretty restrictive, but I also don't want a thread that just gives people a chance to spout off. In other words, you must know that people have published the theory for it to qualify. I have too many opening suggestions to be able to list them here, but a soft target is always THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE (Gothic organ music). Any other nominations? Any pitchforks and torches (i.e. defense of a theory)? Any comments about THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE (Gothic organ music)? --lemit p.s. Any suggestions on how to get that music to stop? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boof-head Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 Science = observation; Logic = deduction.Philosophy is the logic of "why are we logical, and can hear music and see light, etc" Science is 'immediate'; when a light 'blinks' it does so in a logical "time-space"; when a philosopher thinks about "why" they mean "why do we see a light - blinking? What is this blinking we 'see' in this 'logic-space'?" A scientist means, why does it blink in time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moontanman Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 UFOs come to mind as pseudo science. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stereologist Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 NumerologyAstrologyPerpetual motion machinesPhrenologyPyramid PowerAlchemy - Transmutation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galapagos Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 Intelligent Design/Creation ScienceParanormal research Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Essay Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 I want this to be an examination of those claims that have for some reason gained some scientific community traction in support of their popular belief. In other words, you must know that people have published the theory for it to qualify. Any comments about THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE (Gothic organ music)? --lemit p.s. Any suggestions on how to get that music to stop? Either stopping--or starting--certain drugs?...but seriously now.... So do you mean a supporting theory such as the possibility of large methane releases from the Atlantic-Bermuda area? ....An area with known, large deposits of methane hydrates/clathrates.....Theorizied to cause ships to fall into the bubble(s) or a plane to register a different altitude and/or explode while flying through the methane? ~ :phones: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemit Posted April 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 So do you mean a supporting theory such as the possibility of large methane releases from the Atlantic-Bermuda area? ....An area with known, large deposits of methane hydrates/clathrates.....Theorizied to cause ships to fall into the bubble(s) or a plane to register a different altitude and/or explode while flying through the methane? ~ :phones: Yeah. I'd like to see people trying to defend the pseudoscience or at least relating stories about the claims. An example of the latter is that the first "Flying Saucer," had nothing to do with saucer-shaped objects. I've read a few differing accounts of the event, but the single seminal moment is always described the same way: In a memoir of the incident for the First International UFO Congress in 1977 [Kenneth] Arnold revealed the flying saucer label arose because of a "great deal of misunderstanding" on the part of the reporter who wrote the story up for the United Press. Bill Bequette asked him how the objects flew and Arnold answered that, "Well, they flew erratic, like a saucer if you skip it across the water." The intent of the metaphor was to describe the motion of the objects not their shape. Arnold stated the objects "were not circular." A look at the drawing he did for his report to the Air Force shortly after the incident confirms the truth of that statement. It is hard to describe in a word or two; beetle- shaped is the best I can come up with. However you describe it, one thing is clear. It is not the elegant alien geometric perfection we have come to know and mystify ourselves over. This version is from "The Saucer Error" by Martin Kottmeyer in "The REALL News," Volume 1, Number 4 -- May 1993. With apologies to Arnold's family, I've always wondered, if he had used a less tortured analogy, would we today be talking about Flying Stones? --lemit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stereologist Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 So do you mean a supporting theory such as the possibility of large methane releases from the Atlantic-Bermuda area?....An area with known, large deposits of methane hydrates/clathrates.....Theorizied to cause ships to fall into the bubble(s) or a plane to register a different altitude and/or explode while flying through the methane? The Bermuda Triangle stories are in almost all cases misrepresentations of the truth. The famous plane squadron story is not true. The radio crew who spoke to the missing squadron state that the material in the books never occurred. More pseudoscience:crystal power Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boof-head Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 Isaac Newton sought the Philosopher's Stone; he also probably contributed by doing so to modern Chemistry to some extent. He may have been trying to understand "the essence" of metal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemit Posted May 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 Very good, Boof (May I call you Boof?). We often forget that modern chemistry is an outgrowth of alchemy. That is the most benign outcome of pseudoscience I can think of. Astronomy coming from astrology is good, but hasn't resulted in the treatments for disease that chemistry has. It has given us Tang, though. What other good results of bad science can people come up with? --lemit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 § hollow earth theory§ hydrogen earth-core theory§ hydroplate theory§ Urantia Book§ expanding earth theory§ face on Mars§ hyperdimensional theory (see Richard Hoagland)§ evp's§ chemtrails:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :shrug: :shrug: :shrug: :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemit Posted May 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 § hollow earth theory§ hydroplate theory§ Urantia Book§ expanding earth theory§ face on Mars§ hyperdimensional theory (see Richard Hoagland)§ evp's§ chemtrailsB) :pain30: :pain30: :pain30: Some of those are new to me. Would you care to elaborate on any or all of them? Thanks. --lemit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 What other good results of bad science can people come up with?Sloppily, leaving your Petri dish uncovered near an open window?--------------------ChristianityIslamJudaismGodgodsangelssaintspurgatoryhellengineersintelligenceDa Vinci CodePapal infallibilityOnly men can be priests (god said?)heaventhe creator of this amazing universe, also sat down and wrote (inspired?) the dog's dinner called the bible.reincarnationraising people from the deadghostsThe end of the word is _ _ _ (fill in the blank)The end of the world will be caused by _ _ _ (fill in the blank)The the of the world was predicted by __ _ _ (fill in the blank)plastic plants Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemit Posted May 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 Oh my god! (so to speak) As with Turtle, would you care to elaborate? That's what will make this thread educational. Also, would anybody like to tackle the question of how we can recognize pseudoscience when we encounter it in everyday life? In other words, what are the everyday solutions to an everyday problem? Thanks. --lemit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galapagos Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 This video about pseudoscience is entertaining, educational and FREE! I think it would be suitable for intelligent youngsters too, for any of you with kids: YouTube - Here Be Dragons - Critical analysis of pseudoscience 1of5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzMs3V5PNa8&feature=PlayList&p=AE587A4C7E406380&index=0&playnext=1 Turtle 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 § hollow earth theory§ hydroplate theory§ Urantia Book§ expanding earth theory§ face on Mars§ hyperdimensional theory (see Richard Hoagland)§ evp's§ chemtrails Some of those are new to me. Would you care to elaborate on any or all of them? Thanks. --lemit :) I guess I care to...a little anyway. I mean I'll write on any topic, and have written on these, but I have that nagging suspicion that discussing them promotes them and keeps them alive in a twisted sort of way. Nonetheless, request granted. :) :confused: I'll start with Urantia as I imagine it's one you haven't heard of, and if you could pop in and tell me the others you haven't heard of so's I can get to them first. So thens, The Urantia Book purports to come from angels and explain the science of Earth, the cosmos & spiritualy. Written in the early 1900's by a fella named William Sadler and some of his friends in order to join religion to science, it is today continuing to be promoted and translated into other languages other than the English the angels first writ it in. :shrug: :doh: Fortunately my writing on it is here at good ol' Hypography. Urantia Book - Who Could've Hoaxed This? Urantia Book: Complications and Contradictions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeztar Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 This video about pseudoscience is entertaining, educational and FREE! I think it would be suitable for intelligent youngsters too, for any of you with kids: I was only able to see the first 4 minutes of the 1st part. It locks up for some reason. I'm not sure if it's explained later in the film, but some of the products they were showing as "dragons" didn't make any sense. For example, how is organic ketchup a "dragon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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