Crank
From Conservapedia
Crank (also known as a crackpot or kook) is the pejorative term for a person who hold beliefs or views that run contradictory to prevailing theories. While dictionaries may define a crank as "overly enthusiastic about a particular subject or activity[1] or "an unbalanced person who is overzealous in the advocacy of a private cause[2]", it is generally reserved for persons who hold radical ideas well outside of the mainstream in the areas of science and technology. While the term "quack" is used solely for a person who holds such views pertaining to the field of medicine.
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Attributes of a crank
Famed science and mathematics writer Martin Gardner cataloged what he believed were the common signs of a crank[3][4]. First Gardner notes "...most important of these traits is that cranks work in almost total isolation from their colleagues" and that "a second characteristic of the [crank], which greatly strengthens his isolation, is a tendency toward paranoia." In addition Gardner highlighted some of the following characteristics:
- Overestimation of one's own intelligence, knowledge, or proficiency.
- Underestimation of the intelligence of critics and peers
- Belief there is a conspiracy to either suppress their ideas or artificially bolster the prevailing idea.
- A tendency to attack the most well-established scientists and scientific theories.
Mathematician John Baez developed a list of attributes known as the Crackpot Index which he bills as "A simple method for rating potentially revolutionary contributions to physics.[5]" The index contains a list of statements for the reader to consider, and assigns a point value to each item the reader agrees with. The more points accumulated, the more of a "crackpot" the reader is in the author's eyes. Some of the items include:
- "...claim that special or general relativity are fundamentally misguided (without good evidence)."
- "...arguing that a current well-established theory is "only a theory", as if this were somehow a point against it."
- "...offering prize money to anyone who proves and/or finds any flaws in your theory."
- "...claiming you have a revolutionary theory but giving no concrete testable predictions."
Crank style
Cranks often employ similar tactics during debate. These tactics may consist of, but are by no means limited to:
- Routinely ignores the finer points that are prerequisite to understanding the mainstream theory.
- Failure to use standard methods of notation or terminology.
- Attempt to redefine established terminology.
- Ignore all evidence that is presented that contradicts their own hypothesis.
Quotations
“A crank is someone with a new idea -- until it catches on.” - Mark Twain
