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Publishing on the WEB



Publishing on the WEB about dinosaurs and other areas of historical 
science may be different than publishing for physics, astronomy, and 
certain other sciences.  Much current research in physics and astronomy 
tends to be rather esoteric, and beyond the grasp of the average amateur 
scientist.  It's certainly beyond my grasp!  Amateurs and 
non-mathematicians tend to target more down-to-earth sciences such as 
geology.  

Many of these people (including a not insignificant number among those in 
my geology classes each semester) would like to redirect this science to 
the glorification of God the Creator (you KNOW who I mean--and it's not 
Osiris), especially in matters of earth and life history.  Some of these 
people are VERY serious about this, and could begin stuffing our 
publication outlets with such reinterpretations of ALL of the data of 
historical science (just read Whitcomb and Morris' _The Genesis Flood_ if 
you think this is an exaggeration).  And they could finally claim 
legitimacy because, after all, they got it published in a recognized 
scientific medium rather than by a religious publishing house.  I would 
like our editors to continue culling this stuff, thank you.

Comments on this list show that the work of paleontology requires 
considerable scholarship, whereas real mathematical expertise is more 
critical in physics and astronomy.  Probably many more people in the 
general population read about, and can understand, paleontological 
matters than can read and understand about string theory, black hole 
thermodynamics, and quantum gravity.  The physicist can probably identify 
an incompetent paper immediately.  But a free-for-all in historical 
science would certainly be less obvious to the majority of readers.  So 
let's keep the peer-mandated quality standards in OUR science!



Norman R. King                                   tel:  (812) 464-1794
Department of Geosciences                        fax:  (812) 464-1960
University of Southern Indiana
8600 University Blvd.
Evansville, IN 47712                  e-mail:  nking.ucs@smtp.usi.edu