I did email him - this is what I said (no response of course).. ---
Mr. Achenbach; Regarding this.. http://tinyurl.com/maky823 Your article linked above concerning the controversy surrounding BICEP2, trots out the worn-out phrase, "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence". This is not how science works at all. ALL claims, no matter how mundane or cosmic, require exactly the same sort of evidence - reproducible results that can be explained within a known framework. If such a framework is not at hand, a new one must be constructed. It is not the nature of the claims, but the robustness of the framework, that is in question. This phrase has become a sort of mantra for those who insist on pushing worn-out idioms to the breaking point, and are unwilling to consider new ideas. If anything actually new comes up - and I have in mind the observations of Lopez-Corredoira et al regarding objects such as NGC 7603 - it is pushed aside with your phrase, as if the very idea that something new might come to light were offensive to the entire enterprise. Now, it may be that subtle claims - e.g. the neutrino exists - require subtle evidence - as from a giant reservoir of carbon tetrachloride buried deep in a mine coupled to photoreceptors of extremely exquisite sensitivity. But that is not the phrase in question. A tacit assumption is made that world is divided into ordinary and extraordinary parts, each with its own form of evidence. This is nothing but a tacit retreat to the world view of Aristotle and his imaginary ethereal realm. When stated this way, I'm sure it is now clear to you that the phrase is offensive to the spirit of science. -drl ----------------------------------------------- "I write a little. I erase a lot." - Chopin ________________________________ From: Blaze Spinnaker <blazespinna...@gmail.com> To: Danny Ross Lunsford <antimatte...@yahoo.com> Cc: "vortex-l@eskimo.com" <vortex-l@eskimo.com> Sent: Friday, May 23, 2014 12:00 PM Subject: Re: [Vo]:Achenbach the Simple disparages cold fusion Or you can email him: joel.achenb...@washpost.com On Fri, May 23, 2014 at 8:58 AM, Blaze Spinnaker <blazespinna...@gmail.com> wrote: "This is not actually a cold fusion scenario. These are top-notch scientists doing excellent, if difficult, work. " > > >Yeah, there is a special place in hell reserved for this guy. Everyone >should post a comment on his blog. > > > >On Thu, May 22, 2014 at 10:19 PM, Danny Ross Lunsford <antimatte...@yahoo.com> >wrote: > >This simpleton with a degree in politics from Princeton (gawd is that not the >most useless education in history?) feels free to write about science as if he >knew something, even though he has not the slightest training in science. The >dustup over the BICEP2 scandal caused this person to invoke cold fusion as the >ne plus ultra of bullshit.. see for yourself; >> >> >>http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/achenblog/wp/2014/05/19/bicep2s-cosmological-conundrum >> >> >>If you ever feel yourself wondering why civilization seems to be collapsing, >>look no farther than the professional society of narcissists who feel free to >>speak on any topic with authority, as long as it brings in a buck. They know >>their equally narcissistic readers will be both incapable of telling fact >>from fiction, and unconcerned about the difference - or even worse, they may >>themselves believe they are allowed to understand nature's deepest secrets >>without ever working hard - at anything. >> >> >>Profoundly depressing. >> >> >>----------------------------------------------- >>"I write a little. I erase a lot." - Chopin >> >> >
