Oliver's Razor

[Glom]

As I mentioned overleaf, I'm involved in a CT debate in a muggle forum. The topic has wandered a bit and it led to me coining to a term.

We all know Occam's Razor. Oliver's Razor is the opposite of that. The simple explanation needs to be made more complicated.

It is very appropriate for conspiracy theorists, which is why I named it after Oliver Stone.

[raven]

It's not a razor then, but a blunt (and blundering) club.

[Tanalia]

Maybe more of a net -- collecting every bit of junk it can along the way.

[smartcooky]

As I mentioned overleaf, I'm involved in a CT debate in a muggle forum. The topic has wandered a bit and it led to me coining to a term.

We all know Occam's Razor. Oliver's Razor is the opposite of that. The simple explanation needs to be made more complicated.

It is very appropriate for conspiracy theorists, which is why I named it after Oliver Stone.

So, to counterpoise William of Occam's Razor, Oliver of New York's Razor would hold that...

"....among competing hypotheses, the one with the greatest number of assumptions should be selected. Other, simpler solutions may ultimately prove correct, but—in the absence of certainty—the the greater the number of assumptions that are made, the better."

[nomuse]

I think it is an effect, not a cause.

It is extremely difficult to have a simple conspiracy that remains consistent with both external evidence and itself. And the moment you try to confront something like, "But this science over here disagrees with your theory" you find it necessary to add an additional theory (to wit, that the science in question is wrong or a coverup or whatever). Each time an outsider asks, "Why wouldn't this person notice/do something?" the conspiracy has to be expanded again. Eventually, it encompasses everyone but the theorist.

[ineluki]

It's not a razor then, but a blunt (and blundering) club.

I always liked the term "occam's spoon" (It's dull, it hurts more...)