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From: jesup@pawl14.pawl.rpi.edu (Randell E. Jesup)
Newsgroups: sci.misc,talk.philosophy.misc
Subject: Re: Where do you find the future? (was Re: Omni-Americans)
Message-ID: <520@imagine.PAWL.RPI.EDU>
Date: 12 Mar 88 08:35:41 GMT
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In article <2885@sfsup.UUCP> glg@/guest4/glgUUCP (xt1112-G.Gleason) writes:
>Bell's inequality, which implies:
...
>Any one of these failing may mean the world is a lot stranger than
>originally thought.  There are holes that can cover almost any of
>the popular pseudosciences.  This is not proof, but it opens the
>door, and real experiments will eventually tell us something about
>what is going on.

	So quantum works.  Is that really such a stunner?  Does that mean
that Uri Geller, whats-her-name the 'channeler', UFO groupies, etc are any
more believable than before?  How many of these are going to do 'real
experiments'?  The medicine men, faith healers, cultists, con artists, etc
have always been with us, and probably always will, because so many people
have a true need to believe in things, to be able to give up responsibility
or to have dreams of something outside their routine day-to-day lives.  Look
how many people will buy things like "100+MPG carburetors" for their 10 MPG
gas-guzzler, believing it will work.  Or read horoscopes in the paper and
believe them religously (note the term used, it gives an idea what's going on).

	Occaisionaly, people who have good ideas are riduculed by 'authorities'
who don't understand them, or haven't seen proof, etc.  My own great-great-
great-grandfather was known as 'mad man henson' because he thought a heavier
than air vehicle could be built (he was wrong, it's real hard (or impossible)
to do with 1840's or 50's steam engines for power).  But his aerodynamics and
lift were better than the Wrights.  Later, after moving from england to the
US, the department of the navy sent him a letter saying that breech loading
cannon were impossible.  (The smithsonian has the documents now).

	But these more often occur with engineering than with science, as
new machines and materials are perfected.  In science, theories can usually
be tested against reality.  Most psuedoscientists stay carefully away from
tests and hard predictions, relying on generalities, claiming coverups,
theatrics, and just plain ignoring things like objective proof.  Those that
really do believe in their ideas either find them fall short, or find them
to be provably true.  Those that are true become 'science' (assuming they
publish the fact).

     //	Randell Jesup			      Lunge Software Development
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