Monday, July 21, 2008

Journalist writes drivel in shock horror probe

Of course a journalist writing drivel in itself would be a story of dog-bites-man magnitude (with apologies to the numerous journalists who do actually make an effort to be honest and decent in their jobs). The real question is why anyone at the American Physical Society thought it appropriate to publish such drivel in their newsletter. I would not be surprised if some of the editorial staff (Jeffrey Marque in particular) are having their positions reconsidered for them.

As for the content, Tim Lambert has already fisked it briefly (see also here and here). The journalist in question is well known to be a clueless twit, although it has been rumoured that his behaviour is actually an elaborate hoax designed to undermine support for the peerage.

8 comments:

Maurizio Morabito said...

Of course, the problem lies not with Monckton, but with the FPS Editor/Executive Committee.

Either they want to open a debate, or they don't.

An Editor so conclusively rebuked by his Executive Committee should consider a different future for himself. And the Executive Committee and the APS leadership must explain who authorised the debate in the first place, and who said yes to the invitation of Monckton

James Annan said...

I agree that Monckton is only a problem to the extent that anyone in a position of any authority takes him seriously. Certainly the editor(s) responsible have plenty of explaining to do!

Anonymous said...

The journalist in question is well known to be a clueless twit, although it has been rumoured that his behaviour is actually an elaborate hoax designed to undermine support for the peerage

C W Magee said...

Did you catch the Scarpetta and West solar article in the latest physics today?

James Annan said...

If you mean Scafetta and West in about March, then yes, it's the same old same old and thoroughly debunked on RC somewhere. Amusingly, it cites the Schwartz nonsense even though Scafetta had already written a critical comment on that paper which undermines their Physics Today article :-)

C W Magee said...

Oops. My bad for trying to remember references instead of looking them up. BTW, do you guys in Japan also get paper journal copies 3 months late?

James Annan said...

No we get electronic copies on the date of publication :-)

BTW, you can ask the AGU to stop sending you a dead-tree copy of EOS weeks late...that's on-line too.

John Mashey said...

For further information on how all this happened, I recommend:

Deltoid, with discussion and especially the new Scientist piece by Catherine Brahic.

Then, you may want to follow some links around regarding Gerald Marsh, and take a look at the list of his writings I posted at RealClimate.

Marsh is a retired, distinguished nuclear physicists who now writes about the forthcoming ice age...