Factual Errors and Shortcomings by Descartes
2 minutes • 336 words
Table of contents
We test Descartes’ assertions, just as we tested Einstein’s and Keynes’, to expose his factual errors.
n | Source | Error | Reality |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Principia Part 3, 154 | Saturn does not rotate so much | Saturn rotates quickly |
2 | The World Chapter 8 | Comets (and the Oort Cloud) move faster than the inner planets | Comets are slower |
3 | Principia Part 3, 82 | The fire-aether beyond Saturn do not move faster. | They move slower. This mistake is caused by the previous mistake on comets |
4 | Meteors Discourse 8 | Colors are caused by photons turning in different directions. The cause of the error is believing that colors emerge after hitting something. This is a principle in Dioptrique. However, color is inherent information about the source, and not an emergent effect. | Colors are caused by wavelengths |
5 | Principia Part 3, 147 | The outer planets are more solid (materially denser) than the inner ones | The inner planets are more solid |
6 | Principia Part 3, 153 | Magnets have 2 opposing channel flow directions | Modern Physics reveals magnets to have 1 flow, from North to Soutn |
7 | Passions, Article 36 | The feelings come from the pineal gland instead of the heart | The feelings are facilitated by the heart, which are then processed by the pineal gland |
Shortcomings
Descartes’ system would have been perfect if it didn’t have the following shortcomings:
- No mention of supernova
Supernovae are notable features of galaxies. Descartes did not mention any supernova.
- Very little info on electricity
Natural electricity already existed as lightning, which he calls fire. It would have been great if he expounded more on the nature of electricity.
- Not much info on animals and plant biology
Descartes probably wanted to write biology after writing the Treatise on Man. But he died early in Sweden.
- Too much importance on pineal gland and too little on the heart
In Yogic Science, the heart chakra is just as important as the top chakra (represented by the pineal gland). Descartes gives too much importance on pineal gland and too little on the heart.