Yes, We Have No Neutrons - An Eye-opening Tour Through the Twists and Turns of Bad Science (Hardcover)


Praise for A. K. Dewdney's previous book, 200% of Nothing

"An entertaining, stinging exposé."—Publishers Weekly

"In today's world, 'innumeracy' is an even greater danger than illiteracy, and is perhaps even more common. . . . I hope that this wise and witty book will provide cures where they are possible, and warnings where they are necessary. It's also a lot of fun. I can guarantee that 100 percent"—Arthur C. Clarke

"It is rare indeed when advertisers, politicians, pop economists, and drumbeaters for medical programs offer a statistical argument that is not either meaningless or downright deceptive. Professor Dewdney has given us a marvelous, witty account of such flimflams and how to guard against them. It is impossible to read this timely, important book without enjoyment and eye-opening enlightenment."—Martin Gardner

"Dewdney retells with charm and wit magnificent morsels of mathematical mayhem. . . . 200% of Nothing plumbs the depths of innumeracy in daily life and reveals what ordinary people can do about it. A rich, readable, instructive, and persuasive polemic."—Lynn Arthur Steen, Professor of Mathematics St. Olaf College

"Have you really detected an alien civilization?" "We're not sure. There's no way to know" This answer could not have been better calculated to raise curiosity about the incident still further, guaranteeing a great deal of publicity for Project Ozma. A better answer would have been,"As far as we know, the anomalous signal originated right here on Earth."—from Yes, We Have No Neutrons

In this lively excursion, the acclaimed author of 200% of Nothing takes a fun-filled, in-depth look at eight famous (or rather, infamous) cases of bad science: highly touted discoveries or projects that are astonishing examples of serious scientific slipups. Originally trumpeted as impressive projects full of promise, some of this century's most publicized scientific studies—SETI (the search for extraterrestrial intelligence), Binet's IQ theory, neural nets—have been fatally flawed. From the alleged detection of N rays to the Biosphere 2 debacle, Yes, We Have No Neutrons unveils exactly what went wrong.

Mr. Dewdney takes us behind the scenes to reveal why bad science occurs for a variety of reasons, whether due to faulty methodology or flawed interpretations of results. In some instances, researchers—amateur as well as experienced—neglected key ingredients of the scientific method, leading to conclusions that were either not feasible or simply could not be reproduced. That accounts for the unfortunate circumstance of not only René Blondlot and his N rays, but also Frank Drake and his failed Project Ozma. In other cases, the pursuit of glory played a major role. When overzealous researchers declare their conclusions without strong proof, the results can lead to such notorious findings as the now infamous cold fusion discovery.

In Yes, We Have No Neutrons, A. K. Dewdney provides a delightfully entertaining blend of cogent analysis, keen insight, and sharp-eyed wit, offering irrefutable proof that bad science makes great reading!


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Praise for A. K. Dewdney's previous book, 200% of Nothing

"An entertaining, stinging exposé."—Publishers Weekly

"In today's world, 'innumeracy' is an even greater danger than illiteracy, and is perhaps even more common. . . . I hope that this wise and witty book will provide cures where they are possible, and warnings where they are necessary. It's also a lot of fun. I can guarantee that 100 percent"—Arthur C. Clarke

"It is rare indeed when advertisers, politicians, pop economists, and drumbeaters for medical programs offer a statistical argument that is not either meaningless or downright deceptive. Professor Dewdney has given us a marvelous, witty account of such flimflams and how to guard against them. It is impossible to read this timely, important book without enjoyment and eye-opening enlightenment."—Martin Gardner

"Dewdney retells with charm and wit magnificent morsels of mathematical mayhem. . . . 200% of Nothing plumbs the depths of innumeracy in daily life and reveals what ordinary people can do about it. A rich, readable, instructive, and persuasive polemic."—Lynn Arthur Steen, Professor of Mathematics St. Olaf College

"Have you really detected an alien civilization?" "We're not sure. There's no way to know" This answer could not have been better calculated to raise curiosity about the incident still further, guaranteeing a great deal of publicity for Project Ozma. A better answer would have been,"As far as we know, the anomalous signal originated right here on Earth."—from Yes, We Have No Neutrons

In this lively excursion, the acclaimed author of 200% of Nothing takes a fun-filled, in-depth look at eight famous (or rather, infamous) cases of bad science: highly touted discoveries or projects that are astonishing examples of serious scientific slipups. Originally trumpeted as impressive projects full of promise, some of this century's most publicized scientific studies—SETI (the search for extraterrestrial intelligence), Binet's IQ theory, neural nets—have been fatally flawed. From the alleged detection of N rays to the Biosphere 2 debacle, Yes, We Have No Neutrons unveils exactly what went wrong.

Mr. Dewdney takes us behind the scenes to reveal why bad science occurs for a variety of reasons, whether due to faulty methodology or flawed interpretations of results. In some instances, researchers—amateur as well as experienced—neglected key ingredients of the scientific method, leading to conclusions that were either not feasible or simply could not be reproduced. That accounts for the unfortunate circumstance of not only René Blondlot and his N rays, but also Frank Drake and his failed Project Ozma. In other cases, the pursuit of glory played a major role. When overzealous researchers declare their conclusions without strong proof, the results can lead to such notorious findings as the now infamous cold fusion discovery.

In Yes, We Have No Neutrons, A. K. Dewdney provides a delightfully entertaining blend of cogent analysis, keen insight, and sharp-eyed wit, offering irrefutable proof that bad science makes great reading!

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Product Details

General

Imprint

John Wiley & Sons

Country of origin

United States

Release date

April 1997

Availability

Supplier out of stock. If you add this item to your wish list we will let you know when it becomes available.

First published

April 1997

Authors

Dimensions

233 x 162 x 19mm (L x W x T)

Format

Hardcover

Pages

192

ISBN-13

978-0-471-10806-1

Barcode

9780471108061

Categories

LSN

0-471-10806-5



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