Wronger than wrong
Encyclopedia
Michael Shermer
has called "wronger than wrong" Asimov's Axiom, after the noted author Isaac Asimov
, who discussed the issue in his book of essays, The Relativity of Wrong
. A statement that equates two errors is wronger than wrong when one of the errors is clearly wronger than the other. As Asimov put it:
Asimov explains that science is both progressive and cumulative, and builds upon the mistakes of the past. Even though scientific theories are later proven wrong, the degree of their wrongness attenuates with time. Data collected from satellite measurements shows precisely how the Earth's shape differs from a perfect sphere.
According to John Jenkins, who reviewed The Relativity of Wrong, the title essay of Asimov's book is the one "which I think is important both for understanding Asimov's thinking about science and for arming oneself against the inevitable anti-science attack that one often hears — [that] theories are always preliminary and science really doesn't 'know' anything."
Michael Shermer
Michael Brant Shermer is an American science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and Editor in Chief of its magazine Skeptic, which is largely devoted to investigating pseudoscientific and supernatural claims. The Skeptics Society currently has over 55,000 members...
has called "wronger than wrong" Asimov's Axiom, after the noted author Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
, who discussed the issue in his book of essays, The Relativity of Wrong
The Relativity of Wrong
The Relativity of Wrong is a 1988 essay collection by Isaac Asimov, which takes its title from the most ambitious essay it contains. Like most of the essays Asimov wrote for F&SF Magazine, each one in The Relativity of Wrong begins with an autobiographical anecdote which serves to set the mood...
. A statement that equates two errors is wronger than wrong when one of the errors is clearly wronger than the other. As Asimov put it:
- "When people thought the earth was flatFlat EarthThe Flat Earth model is a belief that the Earth's shape is a plane or disk. Most ancient cultures have had conceptions of a flat Earth, including Greece until the classical period, the Bronze Age and Iron Age civilizations of the Near East until the Hellenistic period, India until the Gupta period ...
, they were wrong. When people thought the earth was spherical, they were wrongFigure of the EarthThe expression figure of the Earth has various meanings in geodesy according to the way it is used and the precision with which the Earth's size and shape is to be defined. The actual topographic surface is most apparent with its variety of land forms and water areas. This is, in fact, the surface...
. But if you think that thinking the earth is spherical is just as wrong as thinking the earth is flat, then your view is wronger than both of them put together."
Asimov explains that science is both progressive and cumulative, and builds upon the mistakes of the past. Even though scientific theories are later proven wrong, the degree of their wrongness attenuates with time. Data collected from satellite measurements shows precisely how the Earth's shape differs from a perfect sphere.
According to John Jenkins, who reviewed The Relativity of Wrong, the title essay of Asimov's book is the one "which I think is important both for understanding Asimov's thinking about science and for arming oneself against the inevitable anti-science attack that one often hears — [that] theories are always preliminary and science really doesn't 'know' anything."