Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site allegra.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!eagle!allegra!don
From: don@allegra.UUCP (D. Mitchell)
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: quacks
Message-ID: <2131@allegra.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 21-Dec-83 21:21:53 EST
Article-I.D.: allegra.2131
Posted: Wed Dec 21 21:21:53 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 23-Dec-83 01:20:25 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 18

Quacks can sometimes be harmless and amusing.  A nuclear physicist at
Caltech once had a strange experience when someone walked into his
office and asked if he could explain his "new theory of nuclear
energy":

TT: "Sure, I have a minute."
Quack: "Good, most people just throw me out of their office."
TT: "What is your new theory?"
Quack: "Well, first of all, protons are flat."
TT: "You're right."
Quack: "I am?"
TT: "Yes, I AM going to throw you out of my office!"

Unfortunately, many young people are badly hurt by quacks and silly
"pop" philosophers.  They are too excited by their first major
intellectual conquest to really see it objectively.  They do not move
on to more advanced ideas or learn to see the many viewpoints in
perspective.