Re: CSA review

Allan Harvey (aharvey@boulder.nist.gov)
Mon, 09 Nov 1998 14:28:35 -0700

Concerning David Bergman's statements about earlier discussions about his
"Common Sense Science", David Bowman wrote in part:

> [Bergman said]
>> and (2) I had more important things to do than serve
>>as a whipping boy for the willfully ignorant.
>
>We were not "willfully ignorant". Rather, Mr. Bergman would not explain
>himself when asked to do so. Earl, Allen, and I all have graduate degrees
>in physics. It did not appear that Mr. Bergman had much advanced training
>in physics of any kind.

For the record (even though I've made forays into Chemical Physics in my
postdoctoral work and since), my Ph.D. is in Chemical Engineering. Apart
from that (and the spelling of my first name :-)), I agree fully with
David Bowman's recollection and assessment of the total unwillingness of
"Common Sense Science" to interact with scientific criticism.

The pattern of refusing to interact with criticism, and then telling
unsuspecting others "the know-it-all scientists had no answers to my
brilliant ideas so they shut me out" is a hallmark of pseudoscience.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Dr. Allan H. Harvey | aharvey@boulder.nist.gov |
| Physical and Chemical Properties Division | "Don't blame the |
| National Institute of Standards & Technology | government for what I |
| 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80303 | say, or vice versa." |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------