‘not even wrong!’

1. ‘not even wrong!’ Where did the phrase come from and what does it mean? Presented by Graeme Hanigan ‘Scientician’

2. Not only ‘Scientician’

3. but also

4. Its been the title of a number of books…

5. Your can even get it on a T shirt

6. Where did it come from? • The phrase ‘not even wrong’ is attributed to Wolfgang Ernst Pauli. • The Austrian theoretical physicist and pioneer of Quantum Physics.

7. ‘not even wrong!’ • Pauli was a perfectionist. • An approach which he applied not just to his own work, but also to the work of his colleagues and he became known as the "conscience of physics”.

8. ‘not even wrong!’ • He could be scathing in his dismissal of any theory he found lacking, labeling it ‘utterly wrong’

9. ‘not even wrong!’ • However his most severe criticism he reserved for theories so inadequately presented as to be un-testable or un-falsifiable and so not belonging within the realm of science.

10. ‘not even wrong!’ He described such theories by saying; "Not only is it not right, it's not even wrong!"

11. What does it mean? • The Philosopher Karl Popper provided us with an epistemology (a method of differentiating between what is sense and what is nonsense). An argument can be considered to be valid, if it can be falsified. • If an argument is falsifiable does not mean it is false. • It means an argument that is false, can be shown to be false by observation or experiment.

12. ‘not even wrong!’ • Science is a way of self correcting discovery, because it is constantly under review. • For example our current understanding of aerodynamics is the result of over 500 years of scientific discovery.

13. Leonardo Da Vinci wrote his treatise ‘A Codex on the Flight of Birds’ in 1505.

14. ‘not even wrong!’ • Meanwhile mumbo jumbo, hokus pocus, gobbledygook, woo woo, gibberish, nonsense on stilts, rubbish, drivel, Jibber-Jabber, hogwash, claptrap, waffle, jargon, twaddle and flim flam* tend to be stagnant and incapable of change, because they are un-falsifiable. • (*There is so much of it, our language is equally full of terms to describe it.)

15. Lets look at a few examples of popular pseudo- science that are ‘not even wrong!’

16. Dowsing “The corpuscles ... that rise from the Minerals, entering the rod, determine it to bow down, in order to render it parallel to the vertical lines which the effluvia describe in their rise.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dowsing

17. Homoeopathy • “A weaker dynamic affection is permanently extinguished in the living organism by a stronger one, if the latter (whilst differing in kind) is very similar to the former in its manifestation.-“ (Organon of Medicine, Samuel Hahnemann)

18. Vibrational healing • “Some blood on a bit of filter paper is attached to a device called a dynamizer, which is attached by wires to a string of other devices and then to the forehead of a healthy volunteer, facing west in a dim light.” http://radionics.askdefine.com/

19. emWave2 • “Correlates of psychophysiological coherence include a sine wave-like pattern in the heart rhythms, increased heart-brain synchronization (alpha rhythms become more synchronized to the heart) and entrainment between heart rhythm patterns, respiration, blood pressure rhythms and other physiological systems.” http://www.heartmathstore.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=science

20. emWave Personal Stress Reliever Disclaimer • “This is not considered a medical device. It has been found to be very safe and helpful when used as intended for educational and entertainment purposes.” http://www.heartmathstore.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=legal

21. Power Balance Bands • “Subtle frequencies (bio data) are programmed into holographic media. These frequencies resonate with the body's red blood cells believed to amplify and increases the efficiency of electronic, chemical, and organic systems.” http://www.soccervillage.com/productdetails.aspx?ProdID=7376

22. Digital-Retro-Turbo-Encabulator • By Combining the best features of the older Encabulators and using modern MOMS6 Silicon-Galladium-Barsite (SGB) technology the inverse reactive current is supplied in a much more precise manner.  The use of a micro controller provides much improved regulation of the cardinal grammeter's synchronization and results in the status LED blinking in a very regular manner, thus confirming that the current is reacting properly.http://www.prc68.com/I/DRTE.shtml

23. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac7G7xOG2Ag&feature=related scientician

24. ‘not even wrong!’ • There is enough material for me to go on and on and on all night.

25. ‘not even wrong!’ • You will notice the common hallmark of each of these marvelous pieces of pseudo-science, is that they don’t actually explain anything. It is language that conveys no valid meaning • However they do raise more questions.

26. ‘not even wrong!’ • How do the corpuscles rising from the effluvia pull the dowsing rod? What energy is being used? • What is a dynamiser? How does it work? • By what process do alpha rhythms become more synchronized to the heart? • How is do we know that a weaker dynamic affection is permanently extinguished? • How are Subtle frequencies (bio data) programmed into holographic media.

27. ‘not even wrong!’ • These claims are not based on our understanding of the natural world, nor do they add to our understanding of the natural world. • What is more likely, that there exists an alternate dimension where the natural laws, as we know them, don’t apply or that someone just made stuff up?

28. How to recognize claims that are‘not even wrong’ • Use Carl Sagans ‘Baloney Detection Kit’ available in his book; The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, Chapter 12 or freely available here; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUB4j0n2UDU

29. ‘Baloney Detection Kit’ • Wherever possible there must be independent confirmation of the facts • Encourage substantive debate on the evidence by knowledgeable proponents of all points of view. • Arguments from authority carry little weight (in science there are no "authorities").

30. ‘Baloney Detection Kit’ • Spin more than one hypothesis - don't simply run with the first idea that caught your fancy. • Try not to get overly attached to a hypothesis, just because it's yours. • Quantify, wherever possible.

31. ‘Baloney Detection Kit’ • If there is a chain of argument, every link in the chain must work. • "Occam's razor" - if there are more than one hypothesis that explain the data, choose the simpler. • Ask whether the hypothesis can, at least in principle, be falsified?

32. Legal Disclaimer • Graeme Hanigan is a Scientician. • He makes no claims of medical, scientific and/or scholastic merit and encourages you to check his references and to ask questions. • This presentation has been found to be very safe and helpful when used as intended for educational and entertainment purposes • Thank You • Remember to be Skeptical!