If you google "Demon Theory of Friction" you'll find a few pages that quote from it (it's funny, I promise). Basically, if you are prepared to make a "scientific" theory even though the central premise is complete bollocks, you can always make it fit observational data by adding detail, but still keeping the central premise. (eg Intelligent Design these days, but it was written in 1960)
(, Mon 9 Feb 2009, 19:14, Reply)