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1.0 Preamble
This webpage is about Bogosity, which is a word that may not appear in the usual (offline) dictionaries ...
2.0 Notes
The Dictionary.com site defines/explains as follows:
The degree to which something is "bogus" in the hackish sense of "bad".
At CMU [probably, Carnegie Mellon University], bogosity is measured with a bogometer; in a seminar, when a speaker says something bogus, a listener might
raise his hand and say "My bogometer just triggered".
More extremely, "You just pinned my bogometer" means you just said or did
something so outrageously bogus that it is off the scale, pinning the bogometer
needle at the highest possible reading (one might also say "You just redlined
my bogometer").
The agreed-upon unit of bogosity is the microLenat.
Dictionary.com then goes on to explain that the microLenat is ...
The unit of bogosity, written uL; the consensus is that this is the largest
unit practical for everyday use.
The microLenat, originally invented by David Jefferson, was promulgated as an
attack against noted computer scientist Doug Lenat by a tenured graduate
student at CMU [Carnegie Mellon University]. Doug had failed the student on an
important exam for giving only "AI is bogus" as his answer to the questions.
The slur is generally considered unmerited, but it has become a running gag
nevertheless. Some of Doug's friends argue that of course a microLenat is bogus, since it is only one millionth of a Lenat. Others have
suggested that the unit should be redesignated after the grad student, as the microReid.
Excerpt from "Bogosity Ep. 1: Astrology (Part 1)"
Uploaded to YouTube by: shanedk
Date of Upload: March 28, 2007
Tags: astrology skeptic debunk randi stossel
The term "Bogosity" has also been used to refer to "a skeptical science series
about all things bogus" ... the homepage of the www.bogosity.tv website, with links to many video clips, declares that
Bogosity means "the state or condition of being bogus". In this series, we will
examine all sorts of bogus claims and beliefs, from pseudoscience such as
creationism, to bad public policy like the War on Drugs.
This bogosity.tv site comprehensively expounds on "What is Bogosity?", as
follows:
What is Bogosity?
Bogosity is a branch of science first developed at Carnegie-Mellon University.
They developed several pieces of bogus jargon in the process:
bo·gos´i·ty: The state or condition of being bogus
bo´gon: The elementary particle of bogosity, primarily used in quantum bogodynamics (q.v.)
bogon emitter: An object that emits bogons, thereby increasing the bogosity of the
surrounding area (e.g., a malfunctioning device, a psychic, Microsoft Windows)
bogon filter: An object that negates the bogons emitted by a bogon emitter (e.g., the IT guy who watches as you show him the problem with your computer, at
which point it starts behaving normally)
bo·go´me·ter: (also, British, bogometre) A device used for measuring bogosity levels (e.g., an attendant to a creationist seminar might exclaim, “My bogometer just
pegged!”)
quantum bogodynamics: A field of study involving the behavior of bogosity at the particle level
The science of bogosity was further developed at the Institute for Completely
Bogus Studies, again with the development of further jargon:
BhD: a bogus doctorate degree
bogus doctor: one who holds one or more doctorate degrees, all of which are completely bogus
(e.g., Kent Hovind)
bhogium: a theoretical chemical element and theorized component of bogon emitters;
difficult to confirm as its atomic number can change by the hour or even by the
minute, depending on what's on TV
clu´on: The antiparticle of a bogon, the particle of knowledge and skepticism; when
emitted, the bogons are annihilated, reducing bogosity levels
cluon emitter: An object that reduces bogosity; distinguished from a bogon filter in that it
acts upon a third party instead of filtering the bogons at their source (e.g., James Randi is a cluon emitter; his Million Dollar Challenge is a bogon
filter)
fu´ton: The neutral bogosity particle, the particle of ignorance and apathy; when
present in a third party, it inhibits the ability of cluons to annihilate
bogons (e.g., in any given Sylvia Browne fan when hearing James Randi)
milliGeller: (also, milliGel; abbr mGl) a unit for measuring bogosity levels; 1 milliGeller
is the average bogosity emitted by one politician speaking on C-SPAN for one
hour
sar·cas´i·tron: Unconfirmed theoretical particle, possibly the antiparticle of a futon; allows
bogons to survive the presence of cluons while negating their effect (e.g., TheOnion.com, The Colbert Report)
— www.bogosity.tv/bogosity.php
3.0 YouTube Videos
3.1 Video Clips
The popular video hosting site, YouTube, carries several videos about Bogosity ...
Title: Bogosity Ep. 1: Astrology EXPANDED&REMASTERED Pt. 1 ... Pt 3 From: shanedk Added: November 14, 2007 Info-Description:
Title: Bogosity Ep. 2: Evolution vs. Creation (Part 1) ... [Part 3] From: shanedk Added: April 07, 2007 Info-Description: chambered nautilus, ancient creature still alive, nowadays!
Title: Bogosity Ep. 2: Creationism EXPANDED&REMASTERED Pt. 1 ... Pt 3 From: shanedk Added: November 14, 2007 Info-Description: Debunking the lies and misinformation produced by creationism.
4.0 Postscript
This webpage, comprising some brief notes and someYouTube video clips, is a
look-see at the idea of Bogosity, which is a useful idea to bear in mind as we explore the various Mysteries
... More to come!
Please do not assume or conclude that, just because I present many views (in
the form of textual notes and video clips) on this website, it means that I am
in agreement with or that I believe in the views offered-proferred ... That
would be displaying such a parochial and provincial attitude, towards this
website and towards me as well!
As an ex-military officer, I assure you that I am in the habit of reading,
viewing and digesting lots of stuff that I don't necessarily believe in ... We
call all the stuff we read, view and digest, 'military intelligence' ... The
same applies with 'business intelligence' in the business world, of course.
Our aim, as usual, is to find out what others (including our friends, enemies,
competitors, suppliers, strategic partners, business partners, etc.) believe in
... In order to do that effectively, we have to 'get out of the way', so to
speak ... we have to remove our humongous ego! ... else we will never ever
really have gotten started in our journey of exploration and discovery of the
Mysteries of the World
.
Here is a sentiment that I am wholeheartedly in agreement with ...
As I sit down to redo this book for an American audience, what rises before me
is last night's dream: I'm in a broad and beautiful land among many trees. It's
night. I look up at a huge old tree that's dark against the starry sky in its
detail of twig and branch. There is room enough here for all of us, I realize,
here in this big, intricately textured park. But I see that some want to cut
down the trees and level it out, so huge throngs of people can gather to gaze
up at the sun's glare. I watch dark twigs fingering the remote, untouchable
stars. A voice speaks: "Don't turn this into a Copernican Garden."
Waking up, I remember that I went to sleep wondering how to put this book
together. And I take "Copernican Garden" to mean a parking lot vista where
masses gather to honor the bright sun of traditional science with its old rules
as the center of the universe.
So I will not cut down the trees and level this book out. It is between you and
me [or you and I], a conversation as we stroll along in a moonlit fractal
garden past webby connections of thought that merge to patterned insight. Here
hidden delights nestle in scaling patterns of self-similar but never quite
repeating beauty. Here the tree of life hold stars in its branches. No matter
how huge, this garden stays human-sized because we have a place in it, you and
I. No need to cut down the connective forest and level things out for that
bright Sol [sun] of left-brain logic whose daytime dazzle — so
close and glaring — can blind us to the myriad constellations
beyond.
[...]
— Katya Walter,
Tao of Chaos
Sub-title:
Merging East and West
(1994, 1996)
Here is an observation (adapted) made in the Acknowledgement page of a book ...
It takes many minds to produce a book [including an e-book, of course].
Although most authors [especially of non-fiction books and articles] would
prefer not to admit this fact, fundamentally they are merely 'synthesisers' of
accumulated knowledge.
The process of synthesising may unveil a new reality map, or paradigm, which,
in due course, will be used by future pioneers to unveil further paradigms.
This principle was summed up by Sir Isaac Newton when he remarked: "If I have
seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants".
[...]
— Christian von Nidda,
Our Secret Planet
(2005)
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As stated in our
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, the 'Mysteries of the World' Website does NOT aim to sensationalize any
particular 'Mystery', although we will examine and explore all possible
viewpoints pertaining to each 'Mystery' — including the fringe
AND the mainstream.
We will, of course, come to a conclusion (eventually!) about each 'Mystery' ...
even if that conclusion may eventually turn out to be 'as yet unresolved' or
'unexplained to our satisfaction'.
