01 JUL 2011 by ideonexus
Two Examples of Leaping to Conclusions without the Facts
Let me give you two examples of leaping to conclusions without the full facts. Back in the 1890’s, a certain California newspaper was apprehensive about the harmful effects the railroads would have on the environment. If the trains crossed the Mojave to get to the Pacific, this newspaper editorialized, “the huge iron rails will reverse the Earth’s magnetic field with catastrophic effects.” Now that’s real science! One hundred forty years ago, the Royal Society in England warned agai...People, even scientists, thought the train would come apart and asphyxiate its passengers at speeds of 35 MPH, and the rocket was disregarded by the military until the Germans adopted it.