Not even wrong

Written by:Stephen Mitchelmore.

Reading Alexander Cockburn wondering why Christopher Hitchens used another’s line without acknowledgement, I was plunged into an old torment. At the start of a recent Mirror rant against F9/11, Hitchens wrote: “Scientists have a contemptuous expression for a theory they know is sheer junk - they say it is Not Even Wrong“.

Now this phrase, with precise provenance, appeared in the TLS very recently at the start of a review of a science book. At least I think so, as I can’t find it anywhere. Did anyone else notice?

Posted on July 13th, 2004.

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