(no subject)
Velikovskian supporter writes here http://www.knowledge.co.uk/sis/ancient.htm
This might be useful for Kuhnian interpretation of changing science paradigmas. Specifically to see the point on using statistical methods.
The near impossibility of forcing Establishments to accept new theories has troubled many scholars recently. In cosmology, another scientific world with which Velikovsky collided, the brilliant American astronomer Halton Arp [35] has now, by applying probability theory to his observations, proved beyond reasonable doubt that the underlying assumptions behind the concepts of the Big Bang and the Expanding Universe are wrong. Yet the vested interest in the Big Bang, and all that goes with it, is so great that still the Establishment will not accept these findings. But how could the theories and dogma of both Establishments, Cosmology and Ancient History, be so wrong for so long?
Perhaps part of the answer lies in the similarities between the two. It is interesting to compare them, to see if ancient history revisionists can learn from their counterparts in cosmology.
1. The cosmologist develops his theories mainly from observations discovered by astronomers, while the ancient historian develops his mainly from observations, including artefacts and texts, discovered by archaeologists.
2. Astronomers and archaeologists both make 'observations' of past events. But they are required to interpret them so they do not offend the current dogmas of cosmology and ancient history.
3. Astronomers find observations which don't fit, and for which the current cosmology dogma provides no convincing explanation, which they call 'singularities'. Archaeologists also find evidence that does not fit the chronological dogma, which they call 'anachronisms'.
4. Revisionists of cosmology have their mythical 'Dark Matter' to contend with, an invention of a flawed mathematical theory. The astronomers can find no evidence for its existence. Revisionists of ancient history are likewise confronted with the modern myth of the Dark Ages in many countries, an invention of a flawed chronological theory. Archaeologists can find no evidence for their existence.
5. In both astronomy and archaeology, one 'singularity' or anachronism can easily be explained away as an improbable coincidence of events, such as due to some type of observational or procedural error or misinterpretation. Often such explanations overstretch credulity.
6. In cosmology, revisionists have for some time used the power of statistics to give a measure of probability that their new explanations of individual 'singularities' are correct. From the increasingly large numbers of such observations now being reported, they have proved beyond all reasonable doubt that the dogma of conventional cosmology is wrong. Ancient history revisionists have yet to apply any statistical analysis to the hundreds of anachronisms now reported. Statistics could be harnessed either to quantify the degree of improbability of the explanations offered by the Establishment, or the probability that the revisionist explanations are correct. This omission needs urgent rectification. The application of probability theory and perhaps Bayesian statistics to the hundreds of so-called 'anachronisms should enable the revisionists to advance to a position where they, too, can demonstrate that the Establishment's chronology is wrong beyond all reasonable doubt.
This might be useful for Kuhnian interpretation of changing science paradigmas. Specifically to see the point on using statistical methods.
The near impossibility of forcing Establishments to accept new theories has troubled many scholars recently. In cosmology, another scientific world with which Velikovsky collided, the brilliant American astronomer Halton Arp [35] has now, by applying probability theory to his observations, proved beyond reasonable doubt that the underlying assumptions behind the concepts of the Big Bang and the Expanding Universe are wrong. Yet the vested interest in the Big Bang, and all that goes with it, is so great that still the Establishment will not accept these findings. But how could the theories and dogma of both Establishments, Cosmology and Ancient History, be so wrong for so long?
Perhaps part of the answer lies in the similarities between the two. It is interesting to compare them, to see if ancient history revisionists can learn from their counterparts in cosmology.
1. The cosmologist develops his theories mainly from observations discovered by astronomers, while the ancient historian develops his mainly from observations, including artefacts and texts, discovered by archaeologists.
2. Astronomers and archaeologists both make 'observations' of past events. But they are required to interpret them so they do not offend the current dogmas of cosmology and ancient history.
3. Astronomers find observations which don't fit, and for which the current cosmology dogma provides no convincing explanation, which they call 'singularities'. Archaeologists also find evidence that does not fit the chronological dogma, which they call 'anachronisms'.
4. Revisionists of cosmology have their mythical 'Dark Matter' to contend with, an invention of a flawed mathematical theory. The astronomers can find no evidence for its existence. Revisionists of ancient history are likewise confronted with the modern myth of the Dark Ages in many countries, an invention of a flawed chronological theory. Archaeologists can find no evidence for their existence.
5. In both astronomy and archaeology, one 'singularity' or anachronism can easily be explained away as an improbable coincidence of events, such as due to some type of observational or procedural error or misinterpretation. Often such explanations overstretch credulity.
6. In cosmology, revisionists have for some time used the power of statistics to give a measure of probability that their new explanations of individual 'singularities' are correct. From the increasingly large numbers of such observations now being reported, they have proved beyond all reasonable doubt that the dogma of conventional cosmology is wrong. Ancient history revisionists have yet to apply any statistical analysis to the hundreds of anachronisms now reported. Statistics could be harnessed either to quantify the degree of improbability of the explanations offered by the Establishment, or the probability that the revisionist explanations are correct. This omission needs urgent rectification. The application of probability theory and perhaps Bayesian statistics to the hundreds of so-called 'anachronisms should enable the revisionists to advance to a position where they, too, can demonstrate that the Establishment's chronology is wrong beyond all reasonable doubt.