Crank

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("Famous" cranks)
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Synonyms include '''kook''' and '''crackpot''' (the latter of which has led to the creation of the term "psychoceramics" as the name of the study of such people).  
 
Synonyms include '''kook''' and '''crackpot''' (the latter of which has led to the creation of the term "psychoceramics" as the name of the study of such people).  
  
==Famous cranks==
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=="Famous" cranks==
 
Well known cranks and their ideas include (links to their sites included until we have full articles here):
 
Well known cranks and their ideas include (links to their sites included until we have full articles here):
  
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*[[Immanuel Velikovsky]] - Planetary [[catastrophism]], a [[alternate historical chronology|revised chronology]], and more
 
*[[Immanuel Velikovsky]] - Planetary [[catastrophism]], a [[alternate historical chronology|revised chronology]], and more
 
*[[Ernst Zündel]] - [[Holocaust denial]]
 
*[[Ernst Zündel]] - [[Holocaust denial]]
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*[http://www.conservapedia.com/Special:Listusers Most everyone on this list]
 
[[Category:Pseudoscience Promoters]]
 
[[Category:Pseudoscience Promoters]]
  

Revision as of 01:06, 17 May 2008

For the drug, see Methamphetamine

Crank is a pejorative term applied to someone who holds extremely unorthodox views on a subject and feels compelled to repeatedly try and tell the world about it. No amount of evidence contrary to the crank's view point will cause the crank to question his beliefs. The crank is usually an amateur in the field he is arguing against, but sometimes individuals with expertise in that field will go off the deep end (often medical or psychological issues can be traced to the point where an expert become a crank, such as strokes, nervous breakdowns or schizophrenia).

Cranks emerge in all fields of study and claim all kinds of crazy ideas, from being able to square the circle with a pencil and a compass, to biblical literalists in the creationism movement.

Synonyms include kook and crackpot (the latter of which has led to the creation of the term "psychoceramics" as the name of the study of such people).

"Famous" cranks

Well known cranks and their ideas include (links to their sites included until we have full articles here):

Other Uses

A crank is also a type of mechanical device for transmitting rotary motion, consisting of a handle or arm attached at right angles to a shaft.

External links

Crank Dot Net—directory of crank (and anti-crank) websites.

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