Stephen A. Lawrence wrote:
If Rossi turns out to be a fraud, or hugely mistaken for some reason,
the skeptics here will deserve no credit for predicting this.
Getting a little defensive, are we, Jed?
No, but I am sick of people who play it safe by predicting failure where
failure is likely. I am sick of people who criticize Rossi for his
personality and for "lying" instead of looking at the technical issues.
It is too easy to point out his personality faults and thereby evade
serious consideration of the claims. Besides, I don't think he regards
them as faults, and I doubt anyone is fit to throw the first stone.
Rossi appears to be happy with his life. His wife loves him. Who are we
to judge his way of talking? Who cares if he constantly contradicts
himself or says things that appear to flagrant nonsense, such as the
claim that Defkalion never tested a reactor? So what if his hobby is
writing strange messages on his blog? What difference does any of that
make?!? Learn to ignore that stuff, and concentrate on independent
observations by Levi or E&K.
All too often in the history of science and technology, people have
ignored important breakthroughs because of personality issues. Because
the person who made the discovery was too bold, or too bashful,
irritable, irrational, prone to telling fibs, or from wrong social
class. Harrison, who invented the chronometer, is a classic example. If
people in high places and academic hacks had not been sidetracked by his
personality for a generation, and if they had looked at the technical
claims instead of the person, thousands of lives and millions of dollars
would have been saved.
If Rossi is right, everyone will say his habit of spouting off and his
carelessness are merely the eccentricity of genus. All will be forgiven.
I don't think it is the eccentricity of genius, because I know many
stupid people who act this way. It is mostly harmless because you can
usually tell when he is saying something that makes no sense. Just as
you can tell with Steve Jobs. Rossi has done more good than harm. If he
is right about this, he will have done a billion times more good than
harm, so why make a big deal about his personality?
- Jed
