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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26020 Posts |
 Posted - 05/23/2008 : 09:55:13
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A tip o' the hat to PZ for posting about The Hovind Scale, the latest of several metrics skeptics can use to quantify woo. There is even a simple-to-use online calculator for the Hovind Scale.
Ensuring that we have reliable measures for woo is the only way we can scientifically address the problem of woo, specifically allowing us to focus our efforts and efficiently eliminate the most woo for the least cost (in time, labor and sanity). The Hovind Scale thus joins our growing armament of measures, including...
...The Crackpot Index, useful for determining the whackitude of physics claims (Baez' original seems to be down right now).
...The Quackery Index, based on the Crackpot Index but geared towards medical nonsense (by yours truly).
...and The Dembski, a unit of error measurement (for example, "people who think the Earth is only 6,000 years old are off by 0.09 Dembskis"). There's an Online Calculator for Demskis, too, including more explanation near the bottom of the page.
Are there more? I think I'm forgetting one or two...
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- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9687 Posts |
Posted - 05/23/2008 : 13:50:19 [Permalink]
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I tried to plug in Michael Mozina in the Howind online calculator and got a Howind Factor of 6. But selections are subject to interpretation, what do you get, Dave? You debated him more than me.
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Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
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"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
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Collateralmurder. |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26020 Posts |
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Ricky
SFN Die Hard
USA
4907 Posts |
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Cuneiformist
The Imperfectionist
USA
4955 Posts |
Posted - 05/23/2008 : 20:52:35 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Dave W.
Use the Crackpot Index for Mozina. The Hovind Scale is for creationists. |
The problem is how, in a discussion that was something like 1500+ posts, to fairly figure "5 points for every statement that is clearly vacuous, logically inconsistent, or widely agreed on to be false." I got to over 100 points for Mozina without even referring to the myriad threads. I'm afraid that if I critically went through them, I'd hit 1,000 or more in no time. |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26020 Posts |
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The tools of skepticism
