RE: Science

From: Ben Goertzel <ben.domain.name.hidden>
Date: Sun, 12 Jan 2003 15:01:43 -0500

> Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof.
>
> --Tim May
>

One frustrating thing is that it seems almost arbitrary *which* unproven
extraordinary claims are celebrated with attention and funding.

The amount of attention paid to string theory perplexes me, for example.
Yes, it's interesting. But very speculative -- certainly there is no
"extraordinary proof."

Yet string theory is well respected and well funded, whereas other equally
speculative theories are not.

Now, this probably just means that the current community of physicists has
its own "collective intuition", and string theory happens to agree with it.

But to me this is a clue to worry that the collective intuition may be way
wrong...

Which is why I think a list like this, with open discussion of speculations
*besides* the conventionally-sanctioned speculations, is such a good thing.

-- Ben Goertzel
Received on Sun Jan 12 2003 - 15:02:00 PST