- Paperback: 192 pages
- Publisher: Wiley; Reprint edition (Aug 11 1998)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0471295868
- ISBN-13: 978-0471295860
- Product Dimensions: 23.3 x 15.5 x 1.2 cm
- Shipping Weight: 340 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #706,410 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
"Cold fusion" has become an oft-used synonym for science gone wrong, but as A.K. Dewdney colorfully explains in Yes, We Have No Neutrons, bad science has a long and (un)distinguished history. Predicating his discussion on Langmuir's "Laws of Bad Science," which describes common characteristics of dubious scientific claims, Dewdney recounts such classic scientific blunders as the "discovery" of N rays by René Blondlot, psychoanalysis as practiced by Sigmund Freud, and even the ill-fated Biosphere 2 experiment. (Yes, cold fusion is there, too.) Dewdney's book will sharpen the mental razor of anyone who hopes to separate legitimate claims from bunk.
From School Library Journal
YA?Eight entertaining vignettes that illustrate how science can go awry when researchers become convinced of the truth before all the results are in and the analysis completed. Examples come from 20th-century research in a variety of areas including biology, physics, astronomy, psychology, and sociology. Case studies include the 1989 announcement by two scientists that they had achieved cold fusion in a simple contraption and the highly touted, but flawed, Biosphere. The book is easy reading even for those with no technical background. The sections can be read at random, and there's enough continuity for readers to place each segment into the context of the larger theme.?Greg Matthes, R. E. Lee High School, Springfield, VA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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First Sentence
The year 1895 was a momentous one for Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen, a fifty-one-year-old physicist at the University of Wurzburg in Germany. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
The year 1895 was a momentous one for Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen, a fifty-one-year-old physicist at the University of Wurzburg in Germany. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fun for some,
By
Ce commentaire est de: Yes, We Have No Neutrons: An Eye-Opening Tour through the Twists and Turns of Bad Science (Hardcover)
The clever title refers to the cold fusion delusion of 1989. Dewdney also takes apart the Biosphere 2 experiment in Arizona in 1991 where the roaches prospered while the people lost a lot of weight and would never have made it without some artificial help from a CO2 "scrubber." Freud, SETI, The Bell Curve believers and neural nets also come under attack as unscientific.Well, Freud shouldn't even be suspected of being "scientific." In France Freud is read as literature, as is only right. And to attack SETI! Sure it's a long shot, probably a VERY long shot, but what else do we have to do that could possibly reveal anything near as interesting should it succeed? Shame on you, Dewdney. Otherwise, I tend to agree with him, especially about Biosphere 2 which ought to be done again with people who have something close to a clue as to the sort of Herculean dedication and commitment necessary. And bravo for going after the not-too-bright proponents of the antiquated notion of IQ, who think they can define "intelligence," but haven't the foggiest understanding of the real question, "Intelligence for what?" even if they could define it. In other words, this is a fun book if your ox is not being gored.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good textbook,
Ce commentaire est de: Yes, We Have No Neutrons: An Eye-Opening Tour through the Twists and Turns of Bad Science (Hardcover)
This book approaches many topics of "bad science", however the author is extremely biased on a few of the topics. It is an interesting textbook.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good but with some key flaws,
By A Customer
Ce commentaire est de: Yes, We Have No Neutrons: An Eye-Opening Tour through the Twists and Turns of Bad Science (Paperback)
I'm happy to see that other reviewers noted Dewdney's excesses regarding the validity of the SETI efforts. Whether or not you think you know what SETI will find, his analysis of SETI's objectives and methodology seems completely inconsistent with his stated theme and has all the appearances of a personal prejeudice. In contrast, he goes out of his way to be fair in his coverage of the cold fusion debacle. I generally enjoy Dewdney's work-- just watch out for his indiosyncrasies here.
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