Ernie, What a thoughtful response. I certainly don't want to restrict info, what I do want is to leave no pseudoscientific claim left unrefuted. You may be right about openness and GW, but as Naomi Oreskes says about global warming: The scientific community needs to approach the issue with the realization that the problem is not a benign lack of information, rather that the problem is a directed misinformation campaign.
-K At 09:26 AM 5/4/2007, you wrote: >I believe that the strength of science lies in its openness. We accept >anyone's considered viewpoint, and then encourage others to verify the >truthfulness of it by experiment or otherwise. Do we wish to >restrict access to >information? May I suggest that we only demand that the new journal be of a >professional level? I see that the IJCR will be peer-reviewed. Maybe >some here, >of open minds and good credentials, would offer to serve as reviewers? > >I thought I heard a disparaging remark about the bible. I wonder at times >if we are any more objective in our views than the creationists that we >criticize. How can we teach that most important skill, critical >thinking, when we >have so much trouble with it ourselves? > >It is very distressing to me to see how interests with money have so much >power to influence in our society. You can disseminate any sort >of propaganda, >all you need is a PR firm and a good checkbook. We have to face the reality >that access to unbiased information is a serious problem--because, >after all, >who will pay for it? My guess: the new journal will allow free access to >its contents. > >There is the problem-- the GOOD information is published in the leading >journals. But, the only people that can read these publications are >the ones >that have subscriptions or have ready access to a research library. > >How can we break this information imbalance? I think the acceptance of >global warming as a real problem could have come years sooner if one or >two good >journals could have been accessible on the internet. > >Free exchange of knowledge and ideas is a wonderful, powerful thing. Who >knows, maybe from that viewpoint, the new journal is a good thing. But, >only >for a people that can think clearly and seek truth for themselves-- we need >better access to the mainstream journals. > >Ernie Rogers > > > > >************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.
