The mentally disturbed do not employ the Principle of Scientific Parsimony: the most simple theory to explain a given set of facts. They shoot for the baroque.

Philip K. Dick
The mentally disturbed do not employ the Principle of Scientific...
The mentally disturbed do not employ the Principle of Scientific...
The mentally disturbed do not employ the Principle of Scientific...
The mentally disturbed do not employ the Principle of Scientific...
About This Quote

The mentally disturbed do not employ the Principle of Scientific Parsimony. The most simple theory to explain a given set of facts. They shoot for the baroque. If the simplest explanation is also the correct one, then it is not too much to ask that scientists pursue this path rather than elaborate on the flaws in their own work.

Before you waste your time with an elaborate theory, ask yourself if it can be simplified to a single sentence. If so, look at the evidence and ask: why does this evidence support this theory? If there is no evidence and there is no reason, then you may be dealing with a flawed theory.

Source: Valis

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