Date Posted:11:37 Author: Mike Drake - 2 Jun 2001 Subject: Re: Response to Waqidi In reply to:
Waqidi - 2 Jun 2001
's message, "Re: Response to Waqidi" on 11:36
Hi Waqidi,
1. BURBANK AGAIN
I think I actually looked up the article on microfiche during a single, wide-ranging research fit. But to be completely honest, I can't say for sure (it was at least a couple of years ago, and I retrieved the quote from my own notes for my posts here).
I will try to track this down for sure. But tell me: Assuming the source checks out, what will you therefore concede?
2. THE STELLAR COMPANION*
I have already clearly stated why the dark matter issue is a red herring. In any case, we do have a good idea of how dark matter will behave in its gross gravitational aspects - after all, its apparent gravitational effects are one reason it was postulated 70 years ago!*
3. YOGANANDA'S BATTING AVERAGE
Here, however, you make a fair point. I clearly erred in speaking of a ".ooo" average.
First of all, my treatment of the Burbank contradiction is statistically tendentious: I picked a friendly contradiction and then limited the sample set to that single instance. Clearly, most of Yogananda's historical reporting is probably more or less accurate.
A similar problem emerges with my use of the stellar companion hypothesis. Yogananda has made other empirically contentful claims that are true.
What I should have said is that every falsefiable prediction Yogananda has made has turned out false. I think this is true, but in any case puts the burden on you to come up with counter cases. You must show one other falsefiable prediction that Yogananda has made that turns out true (or at least indeterminate).
Best,
Mike
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NOTES
* I am aware Yogananda got the stellar companion idea from Yukteswar. I'm not aware that I stated otherwise.
* Classical mechanics still applies in the gross aspects of the stellar companion model, whether it's dark matter or some other, hitherto undiscovered kind of matter. Y&Y postulated that our sun orbits around a stellar companion. So even if you posit some exotic "theory of gravity for dark matter" that differs in its gross aspects from the standard model, you can't get around the fact that the result would be the perturbations I described. In other words, no matter the theory of gravity, our Sun's movement around the common center of mass will describe a gross motion that will perfoce be measurable by dint of readily observable perturbations.
