AE crank index based on John Baez Crack Pot Index for Physics

Many here I presume are familiar with John Baez Crack Pot Index which he created in 1998.

http://ift.tt/1x3pBYk

Inspired by this I and many others have started work on a similar Index for Ancient Egyptian cranks.

Your ideas, suggestions and comments welcomed for this first draft of the index:

Quote:

The Harte Ultimate Dumb chart or THUD index for AE cranks .015 A simple method for rating potentially revolutionary contributions to Egyptology: 1. Start at 0 2. 5 point for every statement that is widely agreed on to be false without showing evidence that it is indeed not false. 3. 5 points for not understanding that Hawass is not the head of world-wide Egyptology. 4. 5 points for not understanding that NOT only modern Egyptians can be Egyptologists. 5. 5 points for every statement that is clearly made up and for which no evidence exists. 6. 5 points for repeating that slaves built the pyramids. 7. 5 points for every statement that is logically inconsistent. 8. 5 points where the term logic or reasoning are used to support something not logical or reasonable. 9. 5 points for each such statement that is adhered to despite careful correction without evidence to demonstrate that it is wrong. 10. 5 points for every use of annoying language, “is it possible that…”. 11. 5 points for using a thought experiment that contradicts the results of a widely accepted real experiment. Such as saying the C-14 dates done in 1995 are faked. 12. 5 points for each word in all capital letters (except for those with defective keyboards). 13. 5 points for each mention of "Petrie", "Smith" or "Hawass" when it has no bearing on the point, 1 point for any of the lesser giants of Egyptology. 14. 5 points for bringing up “legacy” claims shown long ago to wrong ideas such as: The pyramids are situated at the center of the world, they were granaries, they were carved from existing hills (not excluding the real hills included in them) they could be seen in Jerusalem or that they show supernatural/superhuman precision or accuracy in its construction or alignment. 15. 5 points for demonstrating the power of pareidolia and not understanding this. 16. 5 points for claiming you have done “years of research”. 17. 5 points for a claim involving some date important to Christianity or other religion, 10 additional points if the Apocalypse is mentioned. 18. 5 points for declaring that a documentary is to come in the future explaining everything but for now “just accept what I said”. 19. 5 points for using as a source; Sitchin, Von Daniken, Osmanagic, Velikovsky, Cayce, Berlitz, Dunn, Donnelly, Icke, Blavatsky, Plongeon, Churchward, Posnansky, Fell, Taylor, Joseph, Wilson, Cremo, Childress, Collins, Coppens, Wyatt, Russell, Rutherford, 20. 5 points for using as a source those who are still alive and might well come up with something in future but are presently bad sources, Bauval, Hancock. 21. 5 points for saying Egyptology is not a science. 22. 10 points for using un-evidenced speculation or your opinion and mistaking them for facts. 23. 10 points for not understanding consilience. 24. 10 points for each claim that Egyptology is fundamentally misguided or wrong (without good evidence). 25. 10 points for pointing out that you have gone to school, as if this were evidence of sanity. 26. 10 points for deriding the study of any aspect of Egyptology as unimportant and not limited to its culture, religion, language, history or geographical location. 27. 10 points for beginning the description of your theory by saying how long you have been working on it. (10 more for emphasizing that you worked on your own, 40 if you claim others are trying to steal if from you, 50 if you claim to have survived one or more assassination attempts.) 28. 10 points for claiming scientists have helped and worked with you but not saying who they are or pointing out their contributions or credentials. 29. 10 points for mailing/email your theory to someone you don’t know personally and asking them not to tell anyone else about it, for fear that your ideas will be stolen. 30. 10 points for advising all that your idea is released to the world and you don’t want money for it (as if anyone would pay you). 31. 10 points for offering prize money to anyone who proves and/or finds any flaws in your theory while also stating that YOU are the one going to appraise the entries yourself. 32. 10 points for each new term you invent and use without properly defining it or explaining why and with what authority you changed it if it is an existing term. 33. 10 points for each statement along the lines of "I’m not good at math, but my theory is conceptually right, so all I need is for someone to express it in terms of equations" that will support my idea this includes numerology and engineering drawings and calculations. 34. 10 points for arguing that a current well-established theory is "only a theory", as if this were somehow a point against it. Based on your idea that everything is a theory in science and this is understood by everyone (except you) with a scientific background. 35. 10 points for arguing that while a current well-established theory is well supported by the evidence, it doesn’t explain "why" they occur, it isn’t “efficient”, fails some metaphysical reason you’ve made up, doesn’t create “information” or fails to provide a “mechanism” in support of “x” religion or is deemed illogical or unreasonable by you the theorist. 36. 10 points for claiming that your work is on the cutting edge of a coming "paradigm shift". 37. 10 points for stating you have degrees which supports your contention that you are well educated on the subject but refusing to provide supporting information. 38. 10 points for trying to impose a modern cultural model on the Ancient Egyptians (we wouldn’t do that so they wouldn’t, or we would do this so they would.) 39. 10 points for “borrowing” an earlier idea and representing as your own or as new material. 40. 10 points for not understanding that not all Egyptian Egyptologist are Muslims and that their religion discredits them from speaking about the ancient Egyptians. 41. 10 points for implying that a “lost civilization” is the source for Egyptian civilization (without evidence for such a lost civilization) and you ignore the plentiful evidence of the pre-dynastic cultures and mentioned a date with 5 figures or more. 42. 10 points if the claimant gives themselves the epithet of “Indiana Jones”. 43. 15 points for implying that the pyramids have magical influences (without good evidence to support this.) 44. 15 points for making engineering claims without providing drawing, mathematics or experts to support your contention that what you say is plausible, probable and possible. 45. 15 points for declining to gain support of scientists outside of Egyptology for technical issues for no definable reason. 46. 15 points for bringing up Troy or the Great (Biblical deluge killing everyone but Noah’s family) flood. 47. 20 points if your theory supports any failed 19th century nationalistic or racial idea, that the Egyptian civilian or pyramid came from the Jews, Aryans, Illuminati, Freemasons or other groups. 48. 20 points for emailing Egyptologist complaining about them not recognizing the theorist’s obvious great knowledge. 49. 20 points for suggesting that you deserve a Nobel Prize when it has been explained to you that (accursed) Nobel left no money for Archaeology or Egyptological prizes. 50. 20 points for every use of science fiction works, well-known forgeries or myths as if they were fact. 51. 20 points for constantly “forgetting” your idea is a theory or idea and not proven or accepted by consensus and pretending it is. 52. 20 points for defending yourself and your present idea by bringing up (real or imagined) ridicule accorded to your past ideas, actions and record of credibility. 53. 20 points for naming something after yourself. 54. 20 points for talking about how great your theory is, but never actually explaining it or supporting it with evidence 55. 20 points for each use of the phrase "debunked" or “proven” used the wrong way and especially if you use the phrase, “undeniable evidence”. 56. 20 points for each use of the phrase "self-appointed defender of the orthodoxy", “shill”, or “paid troll” for anyone who disagrees with you or state that Egyptology (or Government) employs people to counter your ideas on line and or in the media. This also applies if you claim that the Egyptology is engaged in a "conspiracy" to prevent your work from gaining its well-deserved fame. X2 if you compare yourself to Galileo, suggesting that a modern-day Inquisition is hard at work on your case and trying to suppress your idea. 57. 20 points for complaining that Egyptology is not paying attention to your idea when you have never published it. This is doubled if you refuse to answer questions about your theory and demand that others buy your book to learn the answers. This also applies to refusals to go to conference to promote your idea either by presenting or showing a presentation/data table. 58. 20 points for posting links to evidence or papers that don’t actually support your contention. 59. 20 points for suggesting that a general property is a unique feature and therefore evidence for your idea (such as noting that water, sand or limestone rock is present in Egypt). 60. 20 points for making a claim in a press release and providing no evidence to support it. 61. 20 points for using the term “decode” these points increases exponentially each time it is used. 62. 25 points for using personal incredulity as evidence or the use of buzz phrases like "Egyptology or science can’t explain that!" or "How could primitive man have done this?" Or a mis-applied appeal to "common sense." 63. 25 points for making a claim in a You-tube video with no written support. 64. 25 points for treating the idea that the ancient Egyptians used “advanced technology” (new age) to include levitation, telekinesis, magic, pyramid power, or advance technology equal to or more advanced than our own present day level of expertise (without providing supporting evidence). 65. 25 points for using strawmen that no (sane) Egyptologist has ever said or implied. 66. 25 points for using arguments from Egyptologists that were later dropped (a great deal of these from the 19th century) as still being valid and in use by present day scientists. 67. 25 points for complaining that Egyptology is based on assumption and demanding these be dropped so the writer’s weaker assumptions are accepted. 68. 25 points for insisting that only evidence from a very narrow dating range near the creation of an object or construction in question can be deem as being associated with said place. 69. 30 points for suggesting that a famous Egyptologist secretly disbelieved in your theory but who have never mentioned it. 70. 30 points for suggesting that Egyptology is groping its way towards the ideas you now advocate but refuses to acknowledge your great wisdom in pronouncing it now. 71. 30 points for claiming that your ideas were developed with help from an extraterrestrial civilization (without REALLY good evidence). 72. 30 points for allusions to a delay in your work while you spent time in an asylum, or references to the psychiatrist who tried to talk you out of your theory. 73. 30 points for pretending that if you post something on an obscure website or even a non-obscure website that that means all of Egyptology then knows about it. 74. 30 points for pretending that if Egyptologists (or other scientists and professionals) don’t publish refutations of your work their silence means they accept it. 75. 35 points for taking real scientists work, especially images, and applying conclusion to their work that they never made this is doubled if you contacted them they told you were wrong and you continue to misuse their data. 76. 35 points for insisting that your idea operates in a special world and that while you have no degrees (or the right ones) only those with the correct degrees may criticize it. 77. 35 points for stating that knowing the language of ancient Egypt is not necessary when translating what the hieroglyphs mean. 78. 35 points for believing that the pyramids are the true focus of Egyptology and nothing else in their culture actually matters. 79. 35 points for stating that some aspect of Egyptology (which strongly suggests your idea is wrong) has been shown to be wrong but declining to show the evidence for such error being proven. 80. 35 points for bringing up the television show “Ancient Aliens” and considering it a valid source. Additionally minus 10 points for each citing of dubious online sites as sources that themselves don’t source their claims. Claims that are usually recycled from pseudo writers higher up on the fringe belief chain. 81. 35 points for suggesting that the ancient Egyptian technology to build the pyramids appeared out of nowhere (without evidence that this occurred). 82. 40 points for mentioning Atlantis, 75 for Mu and 100 for Lemuria. 83. 40 points for comparing those who argue against your ideas to Nazis. 84. 40 points for refusal to accept the scientific method as a valid system of research. 85. 40 points for suggesting or claiming that Egyptologists are generally evil for not listening to you or worse yet pointing out your many errors note this doesn’t mean they are conducting a conspiracy against you but are simply inept, biased and generally stupid 86. 40 points for claiming that when your theory is finally appreciated, present-day Egyptology will be seen for the sham it truly is. (30 more points for fantasizing about show trials in which scientists who mocked your ideas will be forced to recant.) 87. 40 points for suggesting that events tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands or millions of years ago somehow directly affect the Egyptians (without excellent evidence). 88. 45 points for stating that the hieroglyphic associated with an image of Egyptian art need not be read to ascertain what the image is about. 89. 45 points for changing the meaning of ancient Egyptians words while not understanding the language. 90. 45 points creating “evidence” by using photo-shop or other methods that doesn’t exist and not mentioning this to those looking at the material. 91. 50 points for claiming supernatural or paranormal support or collaborators or support. 92. 50 points for claiming extra-terrestrial support or collaborators. 93. 50 points for making un-evidenced statements that either don’t grasp or heavily exaggerate the timeline or other aspects of a given cultural group so as to distort their known contribution to world civilization. 94. 50 points for changing the meaning of ancient Egyptian words while understanding the language but doing so with no support from others who can read the language. 95. 50 points for claiming you have a revolutionary theory but giving no concrete testable predictions or findable evidence it’s all based on your perception of reality or claiming to have predictions and not linking or showing that you have made such predictions or with a 100 point deduction if you are claiming a prediction and linking to same which clearly shows you got the prediction wrong. 96. 75 points for suggesting or pretending that your dismissal of evidence causes such evidence to disappear from the physical world. 97. 75 points for suggesting you ARE an ancient Egyptian. 98. 75 points that the evidence to support your theory will be found in the future – but for the present your ideas or theory should be accepted anyway. 99. 100 points if your theory consists of trash talk against science and Egyptology while concentrating on what you perceived as their grievous errors and bias. In your mind they are so evil and inept that your own weak and un-evidenced idea must be accepted based solely on the presumed weaknesses of the orthodox position. 100. 100 points if you hold the belief that this index was created to stop the acceptance of your idea. Inspired by John Baez 1998 Crack Pot index by baez@math.removethis.ucr.andthis.edu 01-25 You need to tighten up your understanding of scientific methodology. 26-50 Some concern over your devotion to science. 51-75 Pre-crank syndrome. 76-100 Taking a stroll near the dark woods of Crank. 101-125 A ticket to visit the Village of Crank. 126-150 A resident visa for the Kingdom of Crank has been issued. 151-200 Inhabitant of Crankville. 201-300 Signs of extreme crankiness may run for mayor of Crankford. 301-500 Crank.

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