"Aristotle claimed that women had fewer teeth than men. One wonders why he just didn't look."

Why do you think he didn't?

Did you know that children born just after the Black Death swept Europe in the first medieval epidemic were frequently born with fewer teeth than normal? While we don't have comprehensive dental records (burial practices, methodological limits in dating), the claim was made all over Europe and as far distant as Russia by unconnected sources.

Why? Dunno. Could be lots of reasons. The story is not as patently silly as you draw it as.

Are you so sure reality is as cut and dry as you make it? In your limited perspective sitting in the 21st century?

I think, quite likely, that Aristotle was probably several dozen times motre intelligent and astute at observing his world than you. Its not his fault the best thing he had as Euclidean Geometry and a wax tablet, while you have Calculus and AutoCad.

Furthermore, as far as smart revolutionary thinkers saying dumb things:

Newtons hobby was Alchemy (and the Occult), and he spent more of his life seeking the philosophers stone than he spent in any other pursuit, sure that he would attain immortal life.

Newton intentionally assumed a universal perspective in his work, quite possibly delaying the development of key notions of relativity. In letters, when put to the question by his contemporaries, he insisted that such a perspective had to exist, for where else would God live?

Its easy to stand on the heads of dead giants, and then insult them for their lack of perspective.

As far as the HTML preview button, I use mainly firefox, which does not seem to support that code, so I long since have given up the practice- even when posting from IE.

D