Not even wrong
The phrase not even wrong is generally attributed to theoretical physicist Wolfgang Pauli, who was known for his colorful objections to incorrect or sloppy thinking.[1] Rudolf Peierls writes that "a friend showed Pauli the paper of a young physicist which he suspected was not of great value but on which he wanted Pauli's views. Pauli remarked sadly, 'It is not even wrong.'"[2] This is frequently also quoted as "This is not only not right, it is not even wrong!" or "Das ist nicht nur nicht richtig, es ist nicht einmal falsch!" in German.
It has come to be used to describe any argument that purports to be scientific but fails at some fundamental level, usually in that it cannot be falsified (i.e., tested with the possibility of being rejected) by experiment or cannot be used to make predictions about the natural world.
"Not even wrong" has also been used by Peter Woit to mean proposed scientific theories that are well-meaning and based on current scientific knowledge, but can neither be used for prediction nor falsified. He has applied the phrase to aspects of the super string theory of physics on the grounds that, although mathematically elegant, it does not currently provide predictions or tests.[3]
The phrase "not even wrong" is often used to describe pseudoscience or bad science and is considered derogatory.[4]
See also
Notes
- ^ Shermer M (2006). "Wronger Than Wrong". Scientific American.
- ^ Peierls, R. (1960). "Wolfgang Ernst Pauli, 1900-1958". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. 5: 186. doi:10.1098/rsbm.1960.0014.
- ^ Woit, Peter, Not Even Wrong: The Failure of String Theory and the Search for Unity in Physical Law, Basic Books, 2007, ISBN 978-0-465-09276-5
- ^ Oliver Burkeman (September 19, 2005). "Not even wrong". The Guardian.