You Shall Know Them by Their Fruits

 In Science it is so, that more often than not we are forced to rely on the evidence transmitted to us by someone else. It is impossible to observe certain unique phenomena again. For instance we are not able to repeat the observation of a supernova explosion of 1572. But astronomers, at least many of them, rely on its description given by Tycho Brahe – even though he was strongly opposed to the heliocentric system of Copernicus. From what we can read about him, William Crookes was certainly one of the most skillful and honest scientists of his time and his awards testify to that. Therefore, I think, his evidence should be taken under serious consideration. Well, unless someone has prejudices ….

After checking the encyclopedias, next, we check Wikipedia. Wikipedia is not always reliable, nevertheless it often points to some relevant additional information. In French Wiki the additional information is given in just few lines:

“Recherches concernant des phénomènes inexpliqués

Exemple d'expérience : 1) Un accordéon neuf, acheté par Crookes, est placé dans une boite grillagée. 2) En présence de Monsieur Home, l'accordéon joue une mélodie « tout seul ». La suite de la phrase coupée en fin de page est : « Alors l'instrument continua à jouer, personne ne le touchant et aucune main n'étant près de lui ».

Il s'impliqua à la fin de sa vie dans la Society for Psychical Research dont il fut même président, c'est-à-dire qu'il étudiait les phénomènes paranormaux. Par exemple, il procéda à des études scientifiques pour tenter de comprendre les phénomènes qui se produisaient en présence des médiums Daniel Dunglas Home ou Florence Cook.”

The English Wikipedia was at some point of time (now this part has been deleted)  somewhat better¹, as it stated, in particular, that:

Among the phenomena he witnessed were movement of bodies at a distance, rappings, changes in the weights of bodies, levitation, appearance of luminous objects, appearance of phantom figures, appearance of writing without human agency, and circumstances which "point to the agency of an outside intelligence"

There was also a link to a source, though not one that is very reliable. Fortunately what Crookes really did and what he wrote is nowadays available on archive.org. Let me describe Mr. Crookes activities that outraged the British Royal Society.

The Curiosity of Sir William Crookes

William Crookes

The first paper of William Crookes, on the subject that is of interest to us here, appeared in the July 1870 issue of Quarterly Journal of Science², entitled “Spiritualism viewed by the light of modern science.” 

Crookes decided to publish this paper only because there were already rumors circulating about his new research. He writes:

"That certain physical phenomena, such as movement of material substances, and the production of sounds resembling electric discharges, occur under circumstances in which they cannot be explained by any physical law at present known, is a fact of which I am as certain as I am of the most elementary fact in chemistry." (Italics, mine.)

Then he adds:

"My whole scientific education has been one long lesson in exactness of observation, and I wish it to be distinctly understood that this firm conviction is the result of most careful investigation. But I cannot, at present, hazard even the most vague hypothesis as to the cause of the phenomena."

It looks to me like a very honest appraisal with no assumptions or belief involved. Shouldn’t the honesty of a witness and researcher count when we have to decide whether his evidence is of interest to us or not? Then Crookes takes issue with Michael Faraday’s conservative and, I think, somewhat incoherent point of view:

"Faraday says, “Before we proceed to consider any question involving physical principles, we should set out with clear ideas of the naturally possible and impossible.”  But this appears like reasoning in a circle: we are to investigate nothing till we know it to be possible, whilst we cannot say what is impossible, outside pure mathematics, till we know everything?"

Faraday and the Religion of Science

Michael Faraday

This circular reasoning of Faraday may have something to do with his religious beliefs – he had a strong confidence in the authority of Biblical Scripture³. Once you rely on an authority, which you will never question, in one area of your life, you will tend to be an authoritarian in other areas as well. Once you abandon rationalism in one domain, it is all too easy to be irrational in another one. For Faraday Science, the way he saw it, was just another authority. Apparently the established and formulated physical principles were for him like a Scripture that should never be questioned.

1A repeating fact that does not speak well for French intellectualism.

2Available from archive.org

3Collin A. Russell, “Michael Faraday: Physics and Faith”, Oxford University Press, 2000

Next post: No True Science Allowed! A Priori Assumptions Prevail