In article ,
Ed Cregger wrote:

I would think that lots of new approaches in science began as "alternative
science/pseudo science" ideas. No, I can't name one instance off the top of
my head. Those instances are missing along with most of my hair, a good
portion of my previous superior cognitive abilities and short term memories.

One good example, I think, is the theory of continental drift -
originally viewed by the mainstream as being pseudoscience (or at
least unproven), now adopted as "plate tectonics" and acknowledged as
a critically important process in the evolution of our planet.

In order for any "alternative science" theory to achieve mainstream
acceptance, I believe that it has to demonstrate the sort of
characteristics that other (mainstream) scientific theories do.
Specifically:

- It has to be falsifiable. The proponents of it have to be able to
say "OK, if it's wrong, here's how we could tell".

- It has to make testable predictions.

- It has to do a better job with those predictions, than the theories
against which it is competing. It must either (accurately) predict
things that other theories cannot predict, or (in some cases) it
must predict the same things as other theories predict, but do so
in a more "elegant" way.

Testability and falsifiability are the key issues, I believe.

Art has been talking about nontraditional antenna design ideas for
years. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time he's ever
actually provided a sample for an independent party to test.

I think it's only fair for the parties doing the testing, to be
allowed to perform whatever sorts of tests they feel are appropriate,
and report accurately on the test conditions and the results.

If Art or his proponents feel that some of these tests are invalid
(due perhaps to new, nontraditional theories about how the antennas
are supposed to function), then it's up to them to express these new
theories in some testable, falsifiable form, so that the theories can
be fairly evaluated by others.

--
Dave Platt AE6EO
Friends of Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
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