I was looking into Brown's Gas and alternate fuels for
someone, and came across a very nice (IMHO) technical
bollicking of a "pseudoscientist"

General

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown's_gas

And long point-by-point discussion (hey, it's Sunday - what
else have you got on ?) about what's wrong with Brown's Gas
theory and practical uses proposed. Includes argument with
Brown's Gas promoter. Starts at

"The following is a dialog between the above poster and
George Wiseman, who sells books on BG machines:"

about 2/3 down page, but the rest of the page is a hoot if
you dislike crackpots

http://www.phact.org/e/bgas.htm

example of the tone (reminiscient of the odd thread on this
list). Typical pseudoscience approach. "We don't know what
it is, having never bothered to find out, but from our limited
knowledge we don't think it's normal, so therefore it must be
something magical and cosmic"

>I do not say that Brown's Gas does not consist of di-atomic hydrogen
> and oxygen; I feel certain that mixtures coming out of ALL the Brown's
> Gas machines in the world (including mine) are primarily di-atomic
> hydrogen and oxygen.  There is something else in the gas too, which
> gives the mixture properties that I feel are not achievable by bottled
> hydrogen and oxygen. 
Then MEASURE THE BLOODY STUFF!!

>You will NEVER learn new things without entertaining thoughts
> outside the normal parameters.  I do not say everything you think
> of is correct; I do say all that is new and correct will only be
> thought of by innovative thinkers. 

Before you start "thinking outside the box", you _must_ learn how
to think _inside_ the box.  That's where the pseudoscientist screws
up.  He never quite learns the basics, rather he moves directly to
"innovative thought" that is loaded with errors at every turn. 

>Please don't be too hard on people who color outside the lines,
> they are our future.  Where would we be without Nikola Tesla? 

The people who "color outside the lines" fall into two categories: the
ignorant and the crackpot.  The ignorant can be cured with a bit of
education, but he must be willing to learn.  The crackpot is beyond
hope. He's right by definition and nothing will sway him. The crackpot
is the one who constantly rails on about "thinking outside the box",
chiding mainstream scientists for being closed minded, while
committing hilarious errors at every turn


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