Are John Wheeler's Unconventional Theories Scientifically Valid?

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    Crackpot Wheeler
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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the scientific validity of John Wheeler's unconventional theories, including concepts like "it from bit," the Participatory Anthropic Principle (PAP), and the delayed choice experiment. Participants explore the implications of his ideas and their perceived credibility within the scientific community.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested, Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that Wheeler's ideas may be inherently unfalsifiable and question their scientific rigor.
  • Others argue against the notion that being influential or winning prestigious awards, such as Nobel prizes, guarantees the validity of one's theories.
  • A participant points out that intelligence or brilliance in a specific field does not necessarily correlate with practical common sense or sound judgment.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the credibility of Wheeler's theories, with no consensus reached regarding their scientific validity or the implications of his accolades.

Contextual Notes

Some claims about the nature of scientific theories and the relationship between intelligence and common sense remain unresolved, highlighting the complexity of evaluating unconventional ideas.

SeventhSigma
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He seems very influential but at the same time a lot of his ideas seem inherently unfalsifiable and a bit on the crackpot side (it from bit, PAP, delayed choice, etc). Is this accurate on the whole?
 
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Naty1 said:
no...no

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Archibald_Wheeler

Linus Pauling won two Nobel prizes. He also took 3 grams of vitamin C a day and said it would prevent or cure cancer.

Thought question: Does winning two Nobel prizes prove that you are not a crackpot?
 
I have met a large number of people who are quite brilliant in their field but who can hardly tie their own shoelaces, let alone make a sensible decision about which car to buy or when to change their socks. There is not a 'very strong' correlation between brilliance and common sense.
 

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