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Tetronian comments on Explained: Gödel's theorem and the Banach-Tarski Paradox - Less Wrong Discussion

10 Post author: XiXiDu 06 January 2012 05:23PM

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Tags: math explanation

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Comment author: [deleted] 06 January 2012 06:31:03PM 2 points [-]

Such informal explanations also help to overcome the widespread belief that you need to be a genius to approach those problems.

Fair point, but I think the aforementioned danger of misunderstanding is more harmful than learned helplessness with respect to math is. I'd rather people not know the theorem than misunderstand it and use said misunderstanding to wreak epistemic violence.

Comment author: David_Gerard 16 January 2012 12:37:22AM -1 points [-]

A list of habitually abused scientific concepts in popular culture?

  • Godel's incompleteness theorem
  • Schroedinger's cat
  • many worlds
  • anything quantum really
  • most things about evolution

Add your own!

Comment author: TimS 16 January 2012 03:23:23AM *  1 point [-]

Scientifically, I suggest most of psychology and psychiatry (I'm looking at you, Law & Order: SVU). In a similar vein is programming/hacking (e.g. 24, any crime drama).

Godel's incompleteness theorem

In popular culture? What misunderstandings of it have you seen?

Comment author: David_Gerard 16 January 2012 09:08:42AM -1 points [-]

Hmm, not popular culture. Certainly arguing with people purveying nonsense as a form of the argument "you can't be certain therefore I might be right."

Comment author: [deleted] 16 January 2012 05:17:23AM 0 points [-]

Cryptography. Like, all of it.

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