Crank (person)

"Crank" (or kook, crackpot, or quack) is a pejorative term for a person who writes or speaks in an authoritative fashion about a particular subject, often in science, but is alleged to have false or even ludicrous beliefs. Crank can also be used to describe the opinions of these people (see American Heritage Dictionary 2000 - noun definition 3). Usage of the label is often subjective, with proponents of competing theories labeling their opponents cranks, but the term still connotes someone who is well out of mainstream opinion on a matter, as well as connoting a person of dubious mental stability.

Crank tactics

Regardless of whether they are acting in good faith, cranks in all subject areas use similar tactics in their attempts to persuade the general public. The following subset of tactics are deployed by science cranks:

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• The (apparent) offering of cash rewards to anyone who disproves a (scientific) theory
• Grandiose claims for the validity and scope of the theory
• Stated belief that a conspiracy by the scientific establishment is hindering uptake of the theory
• The use of neologisms without proper definition
• Comparison of the originator with Einstein, Newton, Galileo, or Copernicus
• Direct communication of the idea to the media, typically holding a press conference before going through the usual peer review process of publishing in scholarly journals (see cold fusion)
• Any observable effects of the theory are at the limits of detection (see N-rays)
• Lack of a working prototype where one might expect it to convince a skeptical audience (see perpetual motion)