"Not exactly," MacHeath said, "although there is a similarity. The
poltergeist phenomenon is usually spectacular and is nearly always
associated with teen-age neurotics. Then there's the pyrotic; fires
always start in his vicinity."
"But there's always a reason for psionic phenomena to react violently
under subconscious control," Senator Gonzales pointed out. "There's
always a psychological quirk."
"Sure. And I almost fell into the same trap, myself."
"How so?"
"I was thinking that if Bern were the saboteur, all our theories about
psionics would have to be thrown out--we'd have to start from a
different set of precepts. _And I didn't even want to think about such
an idea!_"
"Nobody likes their pet theories overthrown," Gonzales observed.
"Of course not. But here's the point: The only way that a scientific
theory can be proved wrong is to uncover a phenomenon which doesn't
fit in with the theory. A theoretical physicist is a mathematician; he
makes logical deductions and logical predictions by juggling symbols
around in accordance with some logical system. But the axioms, the
assumptions upon which those systems are built, are nonlogical. You
can't prove an axiom; if comes right out of the mind.
"So imagine that you're a theoretical physicist. A really
original-type thinker. You come up with a mathematical system that
explains all known phenomena at that time, and predicts others that
are, as yet, unknown. You check your math over and over again; there's
no error in your logic, since it all follows, step by step."
"O.K.; go on," Gonzales said interestedly.
"Very well, then; you've built yourself a logical universe, based on
your axioms, and the structure seems to have a one-to-one
correspondence with the actual universe. Not only that, but if the
theory is accepted, you've built your reputation on it--your life.
"Now, what happens if your axioms--not the logic _about_ the axioms,
but the axioms themselves--are proven to be wrong?"
* * * * *
Brian Taggert took his pipe out of his mouth. "Why, you give up the
erroneous set of axioms and build a new set that will explain the new
phenomenon. Isn't that what a scientist is supposed to do?" His manner
was that of wide-eyed innocence laid on with a large trowel.
"Oh, _sure_ it is," said the senator. "A man builds his whole life,
his whole universe; on a set of principles, and he scraps them at the
drop of a hat. _Sure_ he does."
"He claims he will," MacHeath said. "Any scientist worth the paper his
diploma is printed on is firmly convinced that he will change his
axioms as soon as they're proven false. Of course, ninety-nine per
cent of 'em _can't_ and _won't_ and _don't_. They refuse to look at
anything that suggests changing axioms.
"Some scientists eagerly accept the axioms that they were taught in
school and hang on to them all their lives, fighting change tooth and
nail. Oh, they'll accept new ideas, all right--provided that they fit
in with the structures based on the old axioms.
"Then there are the young iconoclasts who don't like the axioms as
they stand, so they make up some new ones of their own--men like
Newton, Einstein, Planck, and so on. Then, once the new axioms have
been forced down the throats of their colleagues, the innovators
become the Old Order; the iconoclasts become the ones who put the
fences around the new images to safeguard them. And they're even more
firmly wedded to their axioms than anyone else. This is _their_
universe!
"Of course, these men proclaim to all the world that they are
perfectly willing to change their axioms. And the better a scientist
he is, the more he believes, in his heart-of-hearts, that he really
would change. He really thinks, consciously, that he wants others to
test his theories.
"But notice: A theory is only good if it explains all known phenomena
in its field. If it does, then the only thing that can topple it is a
_new_ fact. The only thing that can threaten the complex structure
formulated by a really creative, painstaking, mathematical physicist
is _experiment_!"
Senator Gonzales' attentive silence was eloquent.
"Experiment!" MacHeath repeated. "That can wreck a theory quicker and
more completely than all the learned arguments of a dozen men. And
every theoretician is aware of that fact. Consciously, he gladly
accepts the inevitable; but his subconscious mind will fight to keep
those axioms.
"_Even if it has to smash every experimental device around!_
"After all, if nobody can experiment on your theory, it can't be
proved wrong, can it?
"In Nordred's case, as in Pauli's, this subconscious defense actually
made itself felt in the form of broken equipment. Dr. Theodore Nordred
was totally unconscious of the fact that he detested and feared the
idea of anyone experimenting to prove or disprove his theory. He had
no idea that he, himself, was re-channeling the energy in those
machines to make them burn out."
Brian Taggert looked at MacHeath pointedly. "Do you think the shock
treatment you gave him will cause any repercussions?"
"No. Griffin and Benbow held that block of radiolead floating in the
air only while Dr. Nordred was alone in the lab. He pushed at it, felt
of it, and moved it around for more than ten minutes before he'd admit
the reality of what he saw. Then he called Luvochek and Bessermann in
to look at it.
"Griffin and Benbow let the sample settle to the desk, so that by the
time the other two scientists got to the lab, the lead didn't have an
apparent negative weight, but was still much lighter than it should
be.
"All the while that Bessermann and Luvochek were trying to weigh the
lead block, to get an accurate measurement, Griffin and Benbow, three
rooms away, kept increasing the weight slowly towards normal. And so
far no one has invented a device which will give an instantaneous
check on the weight of an object. A balance can't check the weight of
a sample unless that weight is constant; there's too much time lag
involved.
"So, what evidence do they have? Scientifically speaking, none. They
have no measurements, and the experiment can't be repeated. And only
Nordred actually saw the sample _floating_. Luvochek and Bessermann
will eventually think up a 'natural' explanation for the apparent
steady gain in weight. Only Nordred will remain convinced that what he
saw actually happened.
"I don't see how there could be any serious repercussions in the field
of physics." But he looked at Taggert for confirmation.
Taggert gave it to him with an approving look.
"It's a funny thing," said Gonzales musingly. "Some time back, we were
in a situation where we had to go to the extreme of physical violence
to keep from demonstrating to a scientist that psionic powers could
be controlled, just to keep from ruining the physicist's work.
"Now, we turn right around and demonstrate the 'impossible' to another
physicist in order to pull his hard-earned axioms out from under him."
He smiled wryly. "There ain't no justice in the world."
"No," agreed MacHeath, "but the trick worked. He won't have any
subconscious desire to smash equipment just to protect a theory that
has already been smashed. On the contrary, he'll let them go through
in order to find new data to build another theory on."
"He'll never again be the man he was," said Taggert regretfully. "He's
lost the force of his convictions. He won't be capable of taking a
no-nonsense, dogmatic, black-and-white stand. But it was necessary."
He made an odd gesture with one hand. "What else can you do with a man
who's a psionic psychopath?"