Pseudoscience is any body of knowledge, methodology, or practice that is erroneously regarded as scientific [1]. Pseudoscience - Introduction. The standards for determining of any body of knowledge, methodology, or practice as nonscience vary, but often include lack of empirical evidence, unfalsifiability, or failure to comply with scientific method or apply a heuristic such as Occam's Razor. A n ...

Including:

• Pseudoscience - Introduction
• Pseudoscience - Classifying pseudoscience
• Pseudoscience - Pseudoscience contrasted with protoscience
• Pseudoscience - The problem of demarcation
• Pseudoscience - Fields often associated with pseudoscience
• Pseudoscience - Pseudomathematics
• Pseudoscience - Criticisms of the concept of pseudoscience
• Pseudoscience - People
• Pseudoscience - Lists

Read more here: » Pseudoscience: Encyclopedia - Pseudoscience

See also:

Pseudomathematics, Pseudomathematics - Impossible problems, Pseudomathematics - Current trends in pseudomathematics

Read more here: » Pseudomathematics: Encyclopedia II - Pseudomathematics - Impossible problems

In recent years, pseudomathematicians have devoted their energies to disproving Gödel's second incompleteness theorem (efforts that fall in the first category mentioned above) and to proving Fermat's last theorem using elementary mathematical techniques (third category). The latter theorem now has a lengthy and extremely technical orthodox proof drawing on many different areas of advanced mathematics. It is particularly tempting for amateur mathematicians, because a note in ...

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Pseudomathematics, Pseudomathematics - Impossible problems, Pseudomathematics - Current trends in pseudomathematics

Read more here: » Pseudomathematics: Encyclopedia II - Pseudomathematics - Current trends in pseudomathematics

"Crank" (or kook, crackpot, or quack) is a pejorative term for a person who writes or speaks in an authoritative fashion about a particular subject, often of a scientific or pseudo-scientific nature, but is perceived as holding false or even ludicrous beliefs. Crank is also used as a noun to describe the opinions of such people (see American Heritage Dictionary 2000 - noun definition 3). Usage of the label is often subjective, with proponents of competing theories labeling each other cranks, but the term pr ...

Including:

• Crank person - Crank tactics
• Crank person - Cranks on the Internet
• Crank person - Related terminology
• Crank person - Topics typically associated with the crank label
• Crank person - Physics computer science and mathematics
• Crank person - Medicine
• Crank person - Politics economics and law
• Crank person - Paranormal and spiritual

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Numerology is the study of the purported mystical or esoteric relationship between numbers and the character or action of physical objects and living things. Numerology and numerological divination were popular among early mathematicians such as Pythagoras, but are no longer considered to be part of mathematics and are now regarded as pseudomathematics by most mathematicians. This is similar to the historical development of astronomy from astrology, and that of chemistry from alchemy. Numerology - Esoteric signifi ...

Including:

• Numerology - Esoteric significance of numbers
• Numerology - One
• Numerology - Two
• Numerology - Three
• Numerology - Four
• Numerology - Five
• Numerology - Six
• Numerology - Seven
• Numerology - Eight
• Numerology - Nine
• Numerology - Ten
• Numerology - Eleven
• Numerology - Twelve
• Numerology - Thirteen
• Numerology - Twenty-two
• Numerology - Zero
• Numerology - Alphabetic harmonics
• Numerology - Numerological divination
• Numerology - Numerology in science
• Numerology - Postmodern critique
• Numerology - Numerology and astrology
• Numerology - In popular culture
• Numerology - Days of Birth reveal your character
• Numerology - Sunday born
• Numerology - Monday born
• Numerology - Tuesday born
• Numerology - Wednesday born
• Numerology - Thursday born
• Numerology - Friday born
• Numerology - Saturday born

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The standards for determining of any body of knowledge, methodology, or practice as nonscience vary, but often include lack of empirical evidence, unfalsifiability, or failure to comply with scientific method or apply a heuristic such as Occam's Razor. A number of attempts have been made to apply philosophical rigor to the notion with mixed results. These include Karl Popper's criterion of falsifiability and the historiographical approach of Imre Lakatos in his Methodology of Scientific Research Programmes. Other historians and philosophers ...

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Pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - Introduction, Pseudoscience - Classifying pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - Pseudoscience contrasted with protoscience, Pseudoscience - The problem of demarcation, Pseudoscience - Fields often associated with pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - Pseudomathematics, Pseudoscience - Criticisms of the concept of pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - People, Pseudoscience - Lists

Read more here: » Pseudoscience: Encyclopedia II - Pseudoscience - Introduction

Pseudoscience fails to meet the criteria met by science generally (including the scientific method), and can be identified by a combination of these characteristics: by asserting claims or theories unconnected to previous experimental results; by asserting claims which cannot be verified or falsified (claims that violate falsifiability); by asserting claims which contradict experimentally established results; by failing to provide an experimental possibility of reproducible results; by failing ...

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Pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - Introduction, Pseudoscience - Classifying pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - Pseudoscience contrasted with protoscience, Pseudoscience - The problem of demarcation, Pseudoscience - Fields often associated with pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - Pseudomathematics, Pseudoscience - Criticisms of the concept of pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - People, Pseudoscience - Lists

Read more here: » Pseudoscience: Encyclopedia II - Pseudoscience - Classifying pseudoscience

Pseudoscience also differs from protoscience. Protoscience is a term sometimes used to describe a hypothesis that has not yet been tested adequately by the scientific method, but which is otherwise consistent with existing science or which, where inconsistent, offers reasonable account of the inconsistency. Pseudoscience, in contrast, is characteristically lacking in adequate tests or the possibility of them, occasionally untestable in principle, and its supporters are frequently strident in insisting that existing scientific results ...

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Pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - Introduction, Pseudoscience - Classifying pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - Pseudoscience contrasted with protoscience, Pseudoscience - The problem of demarcation, Pseudoscience - Fields often associated with pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - Pseudomathematics, Pseudoscience - Criticisms of the concept of pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - People, Pseudoscience - Lists

Read more here: » Pseudoscience: Encyclopedia II - Pseudoscience - Pseudoscience contrasted with protoscience

Main article: Demarcation problem After more than a century of active dialogue, the question of what marks the boundary of science remains fundamentally unsettled. As a consequence the issue of what constitutes pseudoscience continues to be controversial. Nonetheless, reasonable consensus exists on certain sub-issues. Criteria for demarcation have traditionally been coupled to one philosophy of science or another. Logical positivism, for example, espoused a theory of meaning which held that only statements about empirical obser ...

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Pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - Introduction, Pseudoscience - Classifying pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - Pseudoscience contrasted with protoscience, Pseudoscience - The problem of demarcation, Pseudoscience - Fields often associated with pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - Pseudomathematics, Pseudoscience - Criticisms of the concept of pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - People, Pseudoscience - Lists

Read more here: » Pseudoscience: Encyclopedia II - Pseudoscience - The problem of demarcation

Main article: List of alternative, speculative and disputed theories Examples of theories and fields of endeavor that are often associated with pseudoscience: Acupuncture (the traditional theory behind it) Alchemy (pre- or proto-scientific rather than pseudoscientific) Astrology Sun-Sign Astrology Biblical scientific foresight Chakra theory Characterology Clairvoyance Context speaking budgies Creation science and its offsho ...

See also:

Pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - Introduction, Pseudoscience - Classifying pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - Pseudoscience contrasted with protoscience, Pseudoscience - The problem of demarcation, Pseudoscience - Fields often associated with pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - Pseudomathematics, Pseudoscience - Criticisms of the concept of pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - People, Pseudoscience - Lists

Read more here: » Pseudoscience: Encyclopedia II - Pseudoscience - Fields often associated with pseudoscience

Since it implies rejection by the mainstream scientific community, the term "pseudoscience" removes the perceived legitimacy afforded by the category "science". Since, historically, it has been applied to competing theories and interpretations of empirical evidence within the mainstream--sometimes with emotional overtones--critics caution against its over-use. Another criticism is that it is impossible to define the term pseudoscience with the degree of rigor commonly demanded of scientific definitions. Although various definit ...

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Pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - Introduction, Pseudoscience - Classifying pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - Pseudoscience contrasted with protoscience, Pseudoscience - The problem of demarcation, Pseudoscience - Fields often associated with pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - Pseudomathematics, Pseudoscience - Criticisms of the concept of pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - People, Pseudoscience - Lists

Read more here: » Pseudoscience: Encyclopedia II - Pseudoscience - Criticisms of the concept of pseudoscience

"Kook" is a somewhat similar pejorative term that is usually used to describe a person whose areas of interest are perceived to be eccentric, fantastic, or insane. A person may be said to be a "kook" if they are seen to hold socially unacceptable beliefs, or perceptions that outrageously conflict with known scientific results, and appear to base their entire world views upon them. The term was coined in 1960 and originates from the word cuckoo, which is also the name of a bird, but which ...

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Crank person, Crank person - Crank tactics, Crank person - Cranks on the Internet, Crank person - Related terminology, Crank person - Topics typically associated with the crank label, Crank person - Physics computer science and mathematics, Crank person - Medicine, Crank person - Politics economics and law, Crank person - Paranormal and spiritual

Read more here: » Crank person: Encyclopedia II - Crank person - Related terminology

Crank person - Physics computer science and mathematics. Claims to have produced solutions to problems which have been proven to be unsolvable, such as the geometric construction problems of squaring the circle, doubling the cube and trisecting the angle. (It should be noted that all of these problems have solutions if one is permitted tools beyond a straightedge and compass). producing unified Theories of Everything, and particularly doing so with high school or undergraduate level physics knowled ...

See also:

Crank person, Crank person - Crank tactics, Crank person - Cranks on the Internet, Crank person - Related terminology, Crank person - Topics typically associated with the crank label, Crank person - Physics computer science and mathematics, Crank person - Medicine, Crank person - Politics economics and law, Crank person - Paranormal and spiritual

Read more here: » Crank person: Encyclopedia II - Crank person - Topics typically associated with the crank label

Mathematics is not a closed intellectual system, in which everything has already been worked out. There is no shortage of open problems. Pseudomathematics is a form of mathematics-like activity undertaken outside academia, and occasionally by mathematicians themselves. It often consists of determined attacks on famous questions, consisting of proof-attempts made in an isolated way (that is, long papers not supported by previously published theory). The relationship to generally-accepted mathematics is similar to that between pseudosci ...

See also:

Mathematics, Mathematics - History, Mathematics - Inspiration pure and applied mathematics and aesthetics, Mathematics - Notation language and rigor, Mathematics - Is mathematics a science?, Mathematics - Overview of fields of mathematics, Mathematics - Major themes in mathematics, Mathematics - Quantity, Mathematics - Structure, Mathematics - Space, Mathematics - Change, Mathematics - Foundations and methods, Mathematics - Discrete mathematics, Mathematics - Applied mathematics, Mathematics - Important theorems, Mathematics - Important conjectures, Mathematics - History and the world of mathematicians, Mathematics - Mathematics and other fields, Mathematics - Common misconceptions

Read more here: » Mathematics: Encyclopedia II - Mathematics - Common misconceptions

Mathematics is not a closed intellectual system, in which everything has already been worked out. There is no shortage of open problems. Pseudomathematics is a form of mathematics-like activity undertaken outside academia, and occasionally by mathematicians themselves. It often consists of determined attacks on famous questions, consisting of proof-attempts made in an isolated way (that is, long papers not supported by previously published theory). The relationship to generally-accepted mathematics is similar to that between pseudosci ...

See also:

Mathematics, Mathematics - History, Mathematics - Inspiration pure and applied mathematics and aesthetics, Mathematics - Notation language and rigor, Mathematics - Is mathematics a science?, Mathematics - Overview of fields of mathematics, Mathematics - Major themes in mathematics, Mathematics - Quantity, Mathematics - Structure, Mathematics - Space, Mathematics - Change, Mathematics - Foundations and methods, Mathematics - Discrete mathematics, Mathematics - Applied mathematics, Mathematics - Important theorems, Mathematics - Important conjectures, Mathematics - History and the world of mathematicians, Mathematics - Mathematics and other fields, Mathematics - Mathematical tools, Mathematics - Common misconceptions

Read more here: » Mathematics: Encyclopedia II - Mathematics - Common misconceptions

The term "pseudoscience" removes the legitimacy afforded by the category "science"; leaving such a labeled body of theory to try to obtain legitimacy on other grounds. Such attempts at attaining legitimacy include: claiming all theories are equally scientific some are just politically incorrect some have more evidence, others less; but that doesn't make them not science peer review has no value for really new ideas for politically incorrect ideas See also:

Pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - Introduction, Pseudoscience - Classifying pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - Pseudoscience contrasted with protoscience, Pseudoscience - The problem of demarcation, Pseudoscience - Fields often associated with pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - Pseudomathematics, Pseudoscience - Criticisms of the concept of pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - People, Pseudoscience - Lists

Read more here: » Pseudoscience: Encyclopedia II - Pseudoscience - Criticisms of the concept of pseudoscience

Main article: List of alternative, speculative and disputed theories Examples of theories and fields of endeavor which their critics believe are often associated in one way or another with pseudoscience: Acupuncture (the traditional theory behind it) Alchemy (pre- or proto-scientific rather than pseudoscientific) Astrology Sun-Sign Astrology Biblical scientific foresight Chakra theory Characterology Chiropractic Clairvoyance See also:

Pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - Introduction, Pseudoscience - Classifying pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - Pseudoscience contrasted with protoscience, Pseudoscience - The problem of demarcation, Pseudoscience - Fields often associated with pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - Pseudomathematics, Pseudoscience - Criticisms of the concept of pseudoscience, Pseudoscience - People, Pseudoscience - Lists

Read more here: » Pseudoscience: Encyclopedia II - Pseudoscience - Fields often associated with pseudoscience

The mathematical proof that the quadrature of the circle is impossible has not proved to be a hindrance to the many people who have invested years in this problem anyway; having squared the circle is a famous crank assertion. (See also pseudomathematics.) The futility of undertaking exercises aimed at finding the quadrature of the circle has brought this term into use in totally unrelated contexts, wher ...

See also:

Squaring the circle, Squaring the circle - Impossibility, Squaring the circle - Transcendence of π, Squaring the circle - Squaring the circle as a metaphor

Read more here: » Squaring the circle: Encyclopedia II - Squaring the circle - Squaring the circle as a metaphor

Mathematics is often defined as the study of topics such as quantity, structure, space, and change. Another view, held by many mathematicians, is that mathematics is the body of knowledge justified by deductive reasoning, starting from axioms and definitions. Practical mathematics, in nearly every society, is used for such purposes as accounting, measuring land, or predicting astronomical events. Mathematical discovery or research often involves discovering and cataloging patterns, without regard for application. Today, the natural sciences, engineering, economics, and medici ...

Including:

• Mathematics - History
• Mathematics - Inspiration pure and applied mathematics and aesthetics
• Mathematics - Notation language and rigor
• Mathematics - Is mathematics a science?
• Mathematics - Overview of fields of mathematics
• Mathematics - Major themes in mathematics
• Mathematics - Quantity
• Mathematics - Structure
• Mathematics - Space
• Mathematics - Change
• Mathematics - Foundations and methods
• Mathematics - Discrete mathematics
• Mathematics - Applied mathematics
• Mathematics - Important theorems
• Mathematics - Important conjectures
• Mathematics - History and the world of mathematicians
• Mathematics - Mathematics and other fields
• Mathematics - Common misconceptions

Read more here: » Mathematics: Encyclopedia - Mathematics

The evolution of mathematics might be seen to be an ever-increasing series of abstractions, or alternatively an expansion of subject matter. The first abstraction was probably that of numbers. The realization that two apples and two oranges do have something in common, namely that they fill the hands of exactly one person, was a breakthrough in human thought. In addition to recognizing how to count concrete objects, prehistoric peoples also recognized how to count abstract quantities, like time -- days, seasons, years. Arithmetic (e.g., addition, subtraction, mul ...

See also:

Mathematics, Mathematics - History, Mathematics - Inspiration pure and applied mathematics and aesthetics, Mathematics - Notation language and rigor, Mathematics - Is mathematics a science?, Mathematics - Overview of fields of mathematics, Mathematics - Major themes in mathematics, Mathematics - Quantity, Mathematics - Structure, Mathematics - Space, Mathematics - Change, Mathematics - Foundations and methods, Mathematics - Discrete mathematics, Mathematics - Applied mathematics, Mathematics - Important theorems, Mathematics - Important conjectures, Mathematics - History and the world of mathematicians, Mathematics - Mathematics and other fields, Mathematics - Mathematical tools, Mathematics - Common misconceptions

Read more here: » Mathematics: Encyclopedia II - Mathematics - History