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From: al@mot.UUCP (Al Filipski)
Newsgroups: net.physics,net.research,net.misc
Subject: Re: Re: Velikovsky, Einstein and peers
Message-ID: <463@mot.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 22-Nov-85 17:22:39 EST
Article-I.D.: mot.463
Posted: Fri Nov 22 17:22:39 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 23-Nov-85 12:25:03 EST
References: <3101@brl-tgr.ARPA> <197@prometheus.UUCP> <3326@brl-tgr.ARPA> <202@prometheus.UUCP> <3385@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Organization: Motorola Microsystems, Tempe, AZ  85282
Lines: 38
Keywords: cranks, AAAS
Xref: utcs net.physics:3566 net.research:352 net.misc:8673

> > ...
> >
> > Perhaps you have answered your own query.  Set aside a 
> > modest but siqnificant number of articles in each of 
> > all journals for such speculative work, and in addition 
> > establish a journal for exclusive publications of such 
> > speculative or controversial works, and finally, establish 
> > rules of publication which require the disclosure of 
> > "conflicts of interest" to the editor (requester of review). 
> 
> I don't think the first idea is workable, though.  There would be
> far too much crank literature to publish, so selection would

The American Association for the Advancement of Science has
poster sessions at its annual meeting that are apparently
unreferreed (or, uncensored, if you prefer:-).  Some(a small percentage) of 
these presentations are of the crank variety and make an interesting
diversion in small doses-- a sort of sideshow to the main meeting. I tend 
to think that it is good to look at these fringe ideas once in a while 
because it helps clarify the difference between good and bad science and 
gets scientists to think about the epistemology of their field.  The danger 
is that some of these people then advertise that they presented their
ideas before the "American Association for the Advancement of Science"
with the implication that the AAAS endorses or takes seriously the
work.

Another forum for harmless cranks is the classified ad section in the
back of magazines like Popular Science and Science Digest. There
you can find theories about gravity or the structure of space-time.
I sometimes send out for them. Again, in small doses, they are imaginative
and interesting in a surrealistic way.  (Well, I liked  net.bizarre, too.)

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Alan Filipski,  UNIX group,  Motorola Microsystems, Tempe, AZ  U.S.A 85282
seismo!ut-sally!oakhill!mot!al, ihnp4!mot!al, ucbvax!arizona!asuvax!mot!al
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   "Away beyond the ishkabow and over the foofram sea,
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