The awesome GeekDad blog has a list of 10 Geek laws, or axioms, akin to Poe's law.
These laws aren't like the natural laws, which describe the universe in elegantly concise equations. Rather, these laws capture ideas essential to the lives of present-day humans (i.e., Geeks) in tiny nuggets of wisdom.
My favourite is:
"4. Somers [sic] and McCarthy’s Law: There is no dangerous unscientific theory so preposterous that no celebrity will espouse and advocate it."
Click through for the other nine.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
When dowsing wands attack!
When dowsers said they could detect underground water with their rods, or wands or magical fairy pendulums we said "no you can't." But most people didn't listen.
In fact, most dowsers are genuinely convinced they really can detect water, or gold, or whatever they want. If only they understood how confirmation bias worked...
But that's a story for another day.
Usually I live and let live. Most of the time dowsers aren't hurting anyone very much... unless you consider taking advantage of a trust hurtful. However, this is outrageous.
A UK company is making millions selling dowsing 'bomb detection wands' to the Iraqi military, who are abandoning proven methods.
Just think about that. People are going to be blown to pieces because a group of ignorant, money grubbing, credulous dowsers in the UK either 1) can't be bothered educating themselves about basic science, or 2) understand that they're selling fraudulent products, and don't care that they will result in violent painful maiming and death.
I'm irate, and you should be too.
In fact, most dowsers are genuinely convinced they really can detect water, or gold, or whatever they want. If only they understood how confirmation bias worked...
But that's a story for another day.
Usually I live and let live. Most of the time dowsers aren't hurting anyone very much... unless you consider taking advantage of a trust hurtful. However, this is outrageous.
A UK company is making millions selling dowsing 'bomb detection wands' to the Iraqi military, who are abandoning proven methods.
Just think about that. People are going to be blown to pieces because a group of ignorant, money grubbing, credulous dowsers in the UK either 1) can't be bothered educating themselves about basic science, or 2) understand that they're selling fraudulent products, and don't care that they will result in violent painful maiming and death.
I'm irate, and you should be too.
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