Crank
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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== | + | =="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]] | ||
| + | *[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):
- Neal Adams - Expanding earth. [1]
- John A. Davison - Proscribed evolution
- David Icke - Alternate history, alien races, conspiracy theories
- Richard C.Hoagland - "Face" on Mars, aliens, NASA conspiracy theories.
- Eleni Papadopulos-Eleopulos, Peter Duesberg - AIDS denialism
- Gene Ray - Time Cube
- Viera Scheibner - Anti-vaccinationist
- Andrew Schlafly - Creationism, abortion causes breast cancer, liberalism causes all societal ills, revised chronology, AIDS denialism, and many more. (But he's not really "famous", even in inverted commas)
- Immanuel Velikovsky - Planetary catastrophism, a revised chronology, and more
- Ernst Zündel - Holocaust denial
- Most everyone on this list
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.