Scientific Standards

"By the worldly standards of public life, all scholars in their work are of course oddly virtuous. They do not make wild claims, they do not cheat,they do not try to persuade at any cost, they appeal neither to prejudice nor to authority, they are often frank about their ignorance, their disputes are fairly decorous, they do not confuse what is being argued with race, politics, sex or age, they listen patiently to the young and to the old who both know everything. These are the general virtues of scholarship, and they are peculiarly the virtues of science."

~~~~~ Jacob Bronowski

It has become all too apparent that some scientists no longer
conform to the late Dr. Bronowski's exemplary standards.
More's the pity.

Note to NASA: Fire Dr. James Hansen, now.

Hat tip: Anthony Watts

Berg's Reputation – and Ours – UPDATED AND BUMPED

If you're one of those who's been wondering if there's any truth to the allegations that Barack Obama was not born in Hawaii, you'd better check out this information about the man who brought the lawsuit: Philip J. Berg, Nutbar Supreme, which begins like this:

I think we have a winner in the "Who's the biggest kook in 9-11 Denial?" contest.

While I agree that it would be wonderful if Obama would conveniently turn out to be ineligible for the presidency, wishing will not make it come true. In order to be able to fight him effectively, our own reputations must be such that others take us seriously. By lending respectability to whackjobs such as Berg, we end up like the boy who cried wolf. In the future, people won't believe us even when we present them with incontrovertible facts.

Hat tip: Little Green Footballs

Saturday, 10/25/08, 4:21 PM UPDATE: Judge tosses lawsuit challenging Obama citizenship