Presentations:Topic:Miscellaneous:Crazy Ideas


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Title

Crazy Ideas in Science

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Faculty Member

Robert Ehrlich

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Abstract

Aids is not caused by HIV. Coal and oil are not fossil fuels. Radiation exposure is good for you. Distributing more guns reduces crime. These ideas make headlines, but most educated people scoff at them. Yet some of science’s most important concepts —from gravity to plate tectonics —have surfaced from the pool of crazy ideas. In fact, a good part of science is distinguishing between useful crazy ideas and those that are just plain nutty. In this talk, based on several books, I discuss these and other controversial propositions, with a view to seeing how to evaluate a crazy idea's plausibility.

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