Conference hydra::dejavu

61.0. "Sturgeon's Law" by PEN::KALLIS () Fri Dec 27 1985 12:29

The late science-fiction writer, Theodore Sturgeon, once stunned a group
of science-fiction fans by saying "Ninety percent mof science fiction is 
crap."  But then he added, "Ninety percent of _everyuthing_ is crap.  It's
unfortunate that science fiction is the one branch of literature that is
judged on its 90 percent and not its ten percent."  He then went on with
a brilliant exposition on the virtues of the ten percent.

From that derived Sturgeon's Law: Ninety percent of everything is crap
(or of you prefer, "crud," "junk," or any acceptable noun denoting
undersirable worthlessness).  And Sturgeon's Law has great applicability
in such areas as news reporting, used car lots, and snack food.

It is conservative, however, when we approach various forms of the paranormal.
Whether we're discussing psi, astrology, pryamidology, witchcraft, UFOs, 
Fortean phenomena, NDEs, or what have you, the few nuggets of legitimate
information are generally buried in piles, heaps, mounds of garbage.  In
the overall discussion of paranormal phenomena, Sturgeon's Law needs a corro-
lary: at least 98 percent of paranormal writings are [insert word you're
most comfortable with here].

Why such vehemence?  I've recently run across several examples of such
downright silliness that I'd be astonished (save for Sturgeon's Law)
that they got into print.  For instance:

A book on the psychic value of metals says that Gold is the highest form
of metal because of its "radioactivity."

A book on states of consciousness says that a television signal leaves
the station and circles the globe "in a higher dimension" until it is
"called" by the television set.

I could cite similar examples, but the idea is clear.  If someone doesn't
happen to know what (in gross) radioactivity is, then the first sounds
reasonable; the second sounds very muystic unless you happen to know the
general mechanism of television (the explainer was insufficiently versed
to make anything of a television signal's "phantom sideband," which could
have been put down to the supernatural [:-)] if it had been heard).  It
sghouldn't be necessary, for instance, to have to explain again why the
(al)chemical approach to handling matter won't transform lead to gold or
vice versa, though there is at least one person I know of who makes a
living encouraging the belief (alchemy has come to be a philosophical rather
than a physical process; the _alkahest_ has a spiritual rather than a mun-
dane meaning).

The paranormal must exist in consonance with the material world; therefore,
any particularly unusual statements (such as the above) should be treated
with extreme skepticism.

Steve Kallis, Jr.

    The way *I* heard the Sturgeon anecdote was:  He was on a panel
    discussion.  Someone else made the complaint, "Ninety percent of
    science fiction is crap."  He then made the famous riposte, and
    the story continues as you have it.
    							-- Ann B.

	    Unfortunately, elitists have applied the "law" to people,
	suggesting that 90% of people are <expletive deleted>.
			<_Jym_>

    Re .1, .2:
    
    I don't know whether it was the first time he said it, but Ted Sturgeon
    voiced it to a group of science-fiction fans in a meeting of a group
    on Riverside Drive in New York City (I was present).
    
    When exasperated, Sturgeon himself once made the "...and people"
    statement, but he said it very softly.  I heard him do it.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.