

The Clever Hans Effect - delano
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clever_Hans

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delano
"Due to the large amount of public interest, the German board of education
appointed a commission to investigate von Osten's scientific claims. ... This
commission consisted of a veterinarian, a circus manager, a Cavalry officer, a
number of school teachers, and the director of the Berlin zoological gardens."

That was in 1904. They really knew how to get things done back then.

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philwelch
Probably because in 1904, there wasn't a standardized "investigate a popular
eccentric's scientific claims" process enshrined in the bureaucracy.

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InkweaverReview
This is amazing. Definitely a must read.

