30th March 2006, 9:29 PM
Yes. It occurs when one thinks over false paths, unsubstantiated conjecture, or irrelevent data to reach a conclusion.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)