Examples of when the professional scientists or mathematicians were wrong, but the nonprofessionals were...
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What are the most glaring examples -- if any -- of when the professional scientists or mathematicians were wrong, but the nonprofessionals were right?
mathematicians scientific-method
asked 10 hours ago
Seth RichSeth Rich
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What are the most glaring examples -- if any -- of when the professional scientists or mathematicians were wrong, but the nonprofessionals were right?
mathematicians scientific-method
asked 10 hours ago
Seth RichSeth Rich
111
New contributor
Seth Rich is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
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Two things: math was far ahead of nearly all fields of science in its rigor and procedures until relatively recently; and in nearly all cases "nonprofessionals" were right in a tiny percentage of their beliefs. They were correct by accident, not by insight.
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– Carl Witthoft
2 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
What are the most glaring examples -- if any -- of when the professional scientists or mathematicians were wrong, but the nonprofessionals were right?
mathematicians scientific-method
asked 10 hours ago
Seth RichSeth Rich
111
New contributor
Seth Rich is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
$endgroup$
What are the most glaring examples -- if any -- of when the professional scientists or mathematicians were wrong, but the nonprofessionals were right?
mathematicians scientific-method
mathematicians scientific-method
asked 10 hours ago
Seth RichSeth Rich
111
New contributor
Seth Rich is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 10 hours ago
Seth RichSeth Rich
111
New contributor
Seth Rich is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 10 hours ago
Seth RichSeth Rich
111
New contributor
Seth Rich is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 10 hours ago
Seth RichSeth Rich
111
asked 10 hours ago
Seth RichSeth Rich
111
111
New contributor
Seth Rich is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Seth Rich is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Seth Rich is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
$begingroup$
Two things: math was far ahead of nearly all fields of science in its rigor and procedures until relatively recently; and in nearly all cases "nonprofessionals" were right in a tiny percentage of their beliefs. They were correct by accident, not by insight.
$endgroup$
– Carl Witthoft
2 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Two things: math was far ahead of nearly all fields of science in its rigor and procedures until relatively recently; and in nearly all cases "nonprofessionals" were right in a tiny percentage of their beliefs. They were correct by accident, not by insight.
$endgroup$
– Carl Witthoft
2 hours ago
$begingroup$
Two things: math was far ahead of nearly all fields of science in its rigor and procedures until relatively recently; and in nearly all cases "nonprofessionals" were right in a tiny percentage of their beliefs. They were correct by accident, not by insight.
$endgroup$
– Carl Witthoft
2 hours ago
$begingroup$
Two things: math was far ahead of nearly all fields of science in its rigor and procedures until relatively recently; and in nearly all cases "nonprofessionals" were right in a tiny percentage of their beliefs. They were correct by accident, not by insight.
$endgroup$
– Carl Witthoft
2 hours ago
add a comment |
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
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Just warning not to include pre-1920s medicine (and a lot of medical mantra thru the 20th century), as there was little to no science involved amongst physicians. Just look at how difficult it was for Lister et. al. to convince hospitals, midwives, etc. to wash their hands and sterilize operating theatres.
There are dozens of incorrect anecdotes purporting to show scientists were wrong. The "bumblebee can't fly" is one such. The truth behind the science/engineering theories is rather different.
answered 2 hours ago
Carl WitthoftCarl Witthoft
1,09246
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add a comment |
$begingroup$
Take meteorites, for instance. For millennia, educated people “knew” that no rock found on Earth could possibly have fallen from the sky, in spite of the evidence (eyewitnesses included) for their existence. This state of affairs lasted until 1803, when Jean-Baptiste Biot established the reality of meteorites.
answered 8 hours ago
José Carlos SantosJosé Carlos Santos
1,8361426
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add a comment |
$begingroup$
It seems ball lightning was disbelieved by scientists until around 1960. See Wikipedia .
I knew a geologist who told us how his eye-witness account of ball lightning had been ridiculed.
answered 2 hours ago
Gerald EdgarGerald Edgar
3,6711617
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
The Green Flash was
described for the first time (at least in the Western literature) by Jules Verne,
a science fiction writer.
Many scientists did not believe until photographs were taken and published.
Herbert Wells in 1914 described the use of nuclear energy for both bombs and peaceful applications. (His novel The world Set Free). At approximately the same time many scientists thought this was impossible.
(Rutherford is on record for saying this publicly, that nuclear energy will be never used).
answered 1 hour ago
Alexandre EremenkoAlexandre Eremenko
24.3k13488
$endgroup$
add a comment |
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4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
$begingroup$
Just warning not to include pre-1920s medicine (and a lot of medical mantra thru the 20th century), as there was little to no science involved amongst physicians. Just look at how difficult it was for Lister et. al. to convince hospitals, midwives, etc. to wash their hands and sterilize operating theatres.
There are dozens of incorrect anecdotes purporting to show scientists were wrong. The "bumblebee can't fly" is one such. The truth behind the science/engineering theories is rather different.
answered 2 hours ago
Carl WitthoftCarl Witthoft
1,09246
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Just warning not to include pre-1920s medicine (and a lot of medical mantra thru the 20th century), as there was little to no science involved amongst physicians. Just look at how difficult it was for Lister et. al. to convince hospitals, midwives, etc. to wash their hands and sterilize operating theatres.
There are dozens of incorrect anecdotes purporting to show scientists were wrong. The "bumblebee can't fly" is one such. The truth behind the science/engineering theories is rather different.
answered 2 hours ago
Carl WitthoftCarl Witthoft
1,09246
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Just warning not to include pre-1920s medicine (and a lot of medical mantra thru the 20th century), as there was little to no science involved amongst physicians. Just look at how difficult it was for Lister et. al. to convince hospitals, midwives, etc. to wash their hands and sterilize operating theatres.
There are dozens of incorrect anecdotes purporting to show scientists were wrong. The "bumblebee can't fly" is one such. The truth behind the science/engineering theories is rather different.
answered 2 hours ago
Carl WitthoftCarl Witthoft
1,09246
$endgroup$
Just warning not to include pre-1920s medicine (and a lot of medical mantra thru the 20th century), as there was little to no science involved amongst physicians. Just look at how difficult it was for Lister et. al. to convince hospitals, midwives, etc. to wash their hands and sterilize operating theatres.
There are dozens of incorrect anecdotes purporting to show scientists were wrong. The "bumblebee can't fly" is one such. The truth behind the science/engineering theories is rather different.
answered 2 hours ago
Carl WitthoftCarl Witthoft
1,09246
answered 2 hours ago
Carl WitthoftCarl Witthoft
1,09246
answered 2 hours ago
Carl WitthoftCarl Witthoft
1,09246
answered 2 hours ago
Carl WitthoftCarl Witthoft
1,09246
1,09246
add a comment |
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Take meteorites, for instance. For millennia, educated people “knew” that no rock found on Earth could possibly have fallen from the sky, in spite of the evidence (eyewitnesses included) for their existence. This state of affairs lasted until 1803, when Jean-Baptiste Biot established the reality of meteorites.
answered 8 hours ago
José Carlos SantosJosé Carlos Santos
1,8361426
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Take meteorites, for instance. For millennia, educated people “knew” that no rock found on Earth could possibly have fallen from the sky, in spite of the evidence (eyewitnesses included) for their existence. This state of affairs lasted until 1803, when Jean-Baptiste Biot established the reality of meteorites.
answered 8 hours ago
José Carlos SantosJosé Carlos Santos
1,8361426
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Take meteorites, for instance. For millennia, educated people “knew” that no rock found on Earth could possibly have fallen from the sky, in spite of the evidence (eyewitnesses included) for their existence. This state of affairs lasted until 1803, when Jean-Baptiste Biot established the reality of meteorites.
answered 8 hours ago
José Carlos SantosJosé Carlos Santos
1,8361426
$endgroup$
Take meteorites, for instance. For millennia, educated people “knew” that no rock found on Earth could possibly have fallen from the sky, in spite of the evidence (eyewitnesses included) for their existence. This state of affairs lasted until 1803, when Jean-Baptiste Biot established the reality of meteorites.
answered 8 hours ago
José Carlos SantosJosé Carlos Santos
1,8361426
edited 2 hours ago
answered 8 hours ago
José Carlos SantosJosé Carlos Santos
1,8361426
answered 8 hours ago
José Carlos SantosJosé Carlos Santos
1,8361426
answered 8 hours ago
José Carlos SantosJosé Carlos Santos
1,8361426
1,8361426
add a comment |
add a comment |
$begingroup$
It seems ball lightning was disbelieved by scientists until around 1960. See Wikipedia .
I knew a geologist who told us how his eye-witness account of ball lightning had been ridiculed.
answered 2 hours ago
Gerald EdgarGerald Edgar
3,6711617
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
It seems ball lightning was disbelieved by scientists until around 1960. See Wikipedia .
I knew a geologist who told us how his eye-witness account of ball lightning had been ridiculed.
answered 2 hours ago
Gerald EdgarGerald Edgar
3,6711617
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
It seems ball lightning was disbelieved by scientists until around 1960. See Wikipedia .
I knew a geologist who told us how his eye-witness account of ball lightning had been ridiculed.
answered 2 hours ago
Gerald EdgarGerald Edgar
3,6711617
$endgroup$
It seems ball lightning was disbelieved by scientists until around 1960. See Wikipedia .
I knew a geologist who told us how his eye-witness account of ball lightning had been ridiculed.
answered 2 hours ago
Gerald EdgarGerald Edgar
3,6711617
answered 2 hours ago
Gerald EdgarGerald Edgar
3,6711617
answered 2 hours ago
Gerald EdgarGerald Edgar
3,6711617
answered 2 hours ago
Gerald EdgarGerald Edgar
3,6711617
3,6711617
add a comment |
add a comment |
$begingroup$
The Green Flash was
described for the first time (at least in the Western literature) by Jules Verne,
a science fiction writer.
Many scientists did not believe until photographs were taken and published.
Herbert Wells in 1914 described the use of nuclear energy for both bombs and peaceful applications. (His novel The world Set Free). At approximately the same time many scientists thought this was impossible.
(Rutherford is on record for saying this publicly, that nuclear energy will be never used).
answered 1 hour ago
Alexandre EremenkoAlexandre Eremenko
24.3k13488
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
The Green Flash was
described for the first time (at least in the Western literature) by Jules Verne,
a science fiction writer.
Many scientists did not believe until photographs were taken and published.
Herbert Wells in 1914 described the use of nuclear energy for both bombs and peaceful applications. (His novel The world Set Free). At approximately the same time many scientists thought this was impossible.
(Rutherford is on record for saying this publicly, that nuclear energy will be never used).
answered 1 hour ago
Alexandre EremenkoAlexandre Eremenko
24.3k13488
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
The Green Flash was
described for the first time (at least in the Western literature) by Jules Verne,
a science fiction writer.
Many scientists did not believe until photographs were taken and published.
Herbert Wells in 1914 described the use of nuclear energy for both bombs and peaceful applications. (His novel The world Set Free). At approximately the same time many scientists thought this was impossible.
(Rutherford is on record for saying this publicly, that nuclear energy will be never used).
answered 1 hour ago
Alexandre EremenkoAlexandre Eremenko
24.3k13488
$endgroup$
The Green Flash was
described for the first time (at least in the Western literature) by Jules Verne,
a science fiction writer.
Many scientists did not believe until photographs were taken and published.
Herbert Wells in 1914 described the use of nuclear energy for both bombs and peaceful applications. (His novel The world Set Free). At approximately the same time many scientists thought this was impossible.
(Rutherford is on record for saying this publicly, that nuclear energy will be never used).
answered 1 hour ago
Alexandre EremenkoAlexandre Eremenko
24.3k13488
answered 1 hour ago
Alexandre EremenkoAlexandre Eremenko
24.3k13488
answered 1 hour ago
Alexandre EremenkoAlexandre Eremenko
24.3k13488
answered 1 hour ago
Alexandre EremenkoAlexandre Eremenko
24.3k13488
24.3k13488
add a comment |
add a comment |
Seth Rich is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Seth Rich is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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$begingroup$
Two things: math was far ahead of nearly all fields of science in its rigor and procedures until relatively recently; and in nearly all cases "nonprofessionals" were right in a tiny percentage of their beliefs. They were correct by accident, not by insight.
$endgroup$
– Carl Witthoft
2 hours ago