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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