RE: Fossil reptiles mired in controversy

[Ken.Carpenter@dmns.org]

No need to be an apologist for Nature, Mike. When an article in a
science magazine uses lines like, "Lucas is known in the palaeontology
community for his desire to publish a high volume of papers", it reduces
the article to tabloid journalism. This statement is unsubstantiated
gossip or anecdotal, if you prefer.

-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Taylor [mailto:mike@indexdata.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 4:28 PM
To: Ken Carpenter
Cc: twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com; dinosaur@usc.edu
Subject: RE: Fossil reptiles mired in controversy

Ken.Carpenter@dmns.org writes:
 > > Name-calling sparks dispute over aetosaurs.
 > > 
 > > 
 > > http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080130/full/451510a.html
 >
 > Just goes to show that even Nature will publish tabloid stories as
 > long as there is a "science" bent to them.

Hang on, Ken, how is this a "tabloid story"?  Do you think it's a
trivial matter if scientists' original work is published out from
under their feet?

If the facts in the cases described by this story are as they appear,
then I think they are _very_ serious, and deserving of a lot more
concern than is being shown here.  If, on the other hand, things are
_not_ as they seem, then proper investigation is required to vindicate
Lucas et al.  Either way, I don't see the slightest justification for
seeing this matter as on a par with Britney's new tatoo.

 _/|_
___________________________________________________________________
/o ) \/  Mike Taylor    <mike@indexdata.com>
http://www.miketaylor.org.uk
)_v__/\  "Sorry if that makes some people feel bad, but I'm not in the
         "make people feel good business"; I'm a scientist" -- Thomas
         R. Holtz, Jr.