>>>The "proof" of a theory depends on its usefulness in predicting the future. But, a response can only be judged "incredibly stupid" with the benefit of hindsight.
>
>Sort of agree on the first- though a good theory can be used to change the future/prevent chaos, e.g. the recent near-collapse of the financial systems. The second seems wrong... you don't need to throw yourself off a cliff or poke a killer bees' nest with a stick to know it's stupid. Trying to prove that it's stupid would itself be stupid. ;-)

Funny recent cartoon from The New Yorker -- two bears are by a bees' nest and one of them has just poked it with a stick. "Don't worry, I saw a guy do this on TV," he says.

Another one is of a carton of baby wipes on a changing table. Instead of cleaning tissues there are flames coming out of the top. The caption is "Rosemary's baby wipes."

There are always a couple of their cartoons on my refrigerator, in steady rotation. Currently there is a cover as well. Barry Blitt hits pay dirt again --

http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlny/tag/barry-blitt