Re: [compost_tea] compost tea a pseudoscience?
----- Original Message -----
From: chris reid
To: Compost Tea
Sent: Monday, November 24, 2003 6:37 PM
Subject: [compost_tea] compost tea a pseudoscience?
Ted Peterson said:
"brewing is still a little like pseudoscience as opposed to hard science
because there are so many little understood variables."
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PSEUDOSCIENCE
Pronunciation: s`oodows'Iuns
WordNet Dictionary
Definition: [n] an activity resembling science but based on fallacious
assumptions
See Also: alchemy, astrology, fallacy, false belief, star divination
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reply: Probably that word does not convey the idea of an emerging body of
knowledge,
Let's see, false assumptions. . . Aristotle or paradigm validation.
Brewing compost tea is not science. To date, it is art at best. Elaine ha=
s done excellent work and concepts she promotes, the SFW, work. I have wit=
nessed it. That doesn't make it science. Science can investigate the caus=
es and formulate postulates that allow a given situation to be repeated. A=
s far as I can tell, the environment doesn't work like a petri dish or a co=
ntrolled lab experiment which can be scientifically validated and repeated =
with a high degree of certainty. Conventional ag uses science in the form =
of chemistry to solve problems. The concept of the SFW seems to be contrar=
y to that and is a more hands-off, input wise, than conventional practice. =
I don't know that I buy the psuedoscience definition you provide. The Amer=
ican Heritage Dictionary states:
"An unscientific or trivially scientific theory, methodology, or activity t=
hat appears to be presented as scientific."
Notice that there is not one mention of fallacious assumptions. The assump=
tions can be 100% correct but not scientifically validated or repeatable wi=
th any degree of certainty. In my experience, brewing tea still has a way =
to go before we can say with 100% certainty that doing things a certain way=
will give us exactly the same results every time.
Let's take, for example the idea of "Growing Fungi" in a 24 - 48 hour brewi=
ng cycle. I have seen it presented as fact several times on this group and=
did some investigating on my own. Bacteria are easy to grow and multiply=
in a short time period. Fungi, as least the ones I have researched, just =
don't replicate as fast or at the same rates. There are some commonalities=
but that's about it.
I am running a business. My business depends on my being able to deliver wh=
at I say. I need to validate my assumptions and my tea has to work the way=
I say it will. I cannot tell people they will get A, B and C if I know it=
is untrue to make a sale or get a profit because at some point I have to p=
rovide testing to validate my statements. I'm not talking about testing my=
tea, I am talking about plant essays and soil tests. When these give me t=
he readings I want, I know I am on the right track. I need to document eve=
rything I do to each batch of tea and every additive I use and I need to se=
e the results in the plants. If I don't or can't, I more represent a snake=
-oil salesman and the compost tea business has a enough of those. I run in=
to them all the time.
Ted Peterson
Earth-Wise/Spirit of the Earth
Received on Tue Nov 25 2003 - 00:43:19 EST
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