Proposals for Moving to Noise Folder

[Aeronaut]

I heartily second Henning’s proposal to move the off-topic forums into a “Noise”, “Useless Chatter” or “Got Time to Waste?” folder which is clearly marked and explained with a sticky note.

[jamesr]

I second that.

Also I would like to see the “Skepticism and the Scientific Method” and in particular the ZPE category removed completely. Although there are a number of interesting discussions under those sections, I think even the mention on the site (and so search engine indexable) of topics like consciousness, mysticism, zero point energy etc. lowers the tone, and reduces the credibility of the science and technology we are trying to promote.

The sticky note could direct people to other sites not affiliated with us to carry on those kind of discussions.

[Aeronaut]

We’re better off imo to just drop those topics cold, and definitely not mention them with a link which G might interpret as endorsement of same, even if they’re no-follow links.

[Breakable]

IMHO “Skepticism and the Scientific Method” is a very important topic.
I dont have much problem with others, but just to put some arguments forward:
ZPE – you need a place to put all the quacks or they will start making up conspiracies.
Also as far as I know a lot of topics we nowadays consider science were pseudo-science once. Some people consider FF to be it.
I for myself am interested in seeing evidence, whenever it comes from.

[jamesr]

Breakable wrote: IMHO “Skepticism and the Scientific Method” is a very important topic.
I dont have much problem with others, but just to put some arguments forward:
ZPE – you need a place to put all the quacks or they will start making up conspiracies.
Also as far as I know a lot of topics we nowadays consider science were pseudo-science once. Some people consider FF to be it.
I for myself am interested in seeing evidence, whenever it comes from.

I completely agree skepticism and scientific method is very important. Indeed it take a critical thinker to consider the pros & cons of Focus Fusion vs conventional magnetic or inertial confinement methods, together with the probability of success.

It is just that I doubt you would threads on forums discussing ITER or NIF that have titles like
– Musings on mysticism
– Scientific proof of the existence of God.
– Mind, Spirit, Science connection?

[Aeronaut]

Breakable wrote: IMHO “Skepticism and the Scientific Method” is a very important topic.
I dont have much problem with others, but just to put some arguments forward:
ZPE – you need a place to put all the quacks or they will start making up conspiracies.
Also as far as I know a lot of topics we nowadays consider science were pseudo-science once. Some people consider FF to be it.
I for myself am interested in seeing evidence, whenever it comes from.

I’ll see if I can get the link to a site that rigorously demonstrates how various “over-unity” devices succumb to one or more laws of thermodynamics, which I’d like to preface that section with. This would also explain that we expect to consume a fuel by fusing 2 atoms rather than burning molecules.

Now, the real trick is distinguishing “evidence” from evidence.

[Brian H]

Aeronaut wrote:
…

I’ll see if I can get the link to a site that rigorously demonstrates how various “over-unity” devices succumb to one or more laws of thermodynamics, which I’d like to preface that section with.
…

Are you talking about the free energy/zero point energy kind of stuff? There’s an irritating but amusing thing that keeps coming up at the TeslaMotors discussion site. People keep suggesting driving generators with the EV axles, or using windmills on the car to harness air movement from the forward motion, or (latest) a second battery pack which is being charged by the motion created by the first pack — all resulting in free energy! The loons suggesting this stuff are always all excited about how they’ve discovered a way to drive for free …

I replied to the last one with just “TANSTAAFL”.

[Aeronaut]

Here’s the link- http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/museum/unwork.htm

I should have done this before my last post, since I phrased the search as why doesn’t perpetual motion work

[Henning]

Well, my primary thought was adding that GW/AGW stuff too, because it got pretty hostile. And also including any proofs about existence of gods and any unjustified free energy claims.

I would be okay for things like the hydrino theory to stay here, though. It is new physics, but we are only discussing it here. There is no endorsement. For a cleaner search engine signal it might be removed though.

[Author]

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