Bogus Science reviewed . . . and more
Nov. 22nd, 2009 08:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
realthogWe've been away at Philcon, having quite a lot of fun seeing friends and avoiding enemies -- the usual con stuff. While there, logging on nervously using the hotel's seemingly somewhat dodgy wireless, we discovered cheery stuff about Bogus Science -- including a review from the significant rationalist site The Quackometer. They lead off their "Books for Christmas" feature with . . . but I blush. Here are a few bits Pam begs for you please not to read (insufferable? moi?):
Bogus Science and Other Christmas Gifts
Yes, like it or not, now is the time to start thinking about the perfect gift for the geek in your life. [. . .] John Grant has written a trio of great books cataloguing various forms of pathological science. [. . .] The book is full of the idiocies and obsessivenesses of people who believe in the irrational, from Atlantis to faked moon landing, aliens building pyramids, antigravity devices, werewolves, yetis and quantum nonsense. There are, of course, many themes in common: unquestioning self belief, the allure of the mysterious, special knowledge and a refusal to engage with evidence – the themes we see so often in the world of quackery. [. . .]
But then the reviewer (Le Canard Noir), bless her/him, continues, saying amazingly nice (albeit not immediately quotable) things also about Discarded Science and Corrupted Science. I don't think I've ever had a three-book review; I've certainly never had a three-book review so glowing!
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Date: 2009-11-23 11:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-23 07:06 pm (UTC)I feel exactly the same way.
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Date: 2009-11-23 07:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-23 01:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-23 07:07 pm (UTC)Thanks for the kind words. Watch this space for (hopefully) news about the spookazoidal project.
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Date: 2009-11-23 08:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-23 05:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-23 07:08 pm (UTC)you old dog
*bites lips to restrain self from emitting obvious retort*
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Date: 2009-11-23 06:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-23 07:09 pm (UTC)On occasion, but only by dint of hammering myself repeatedly on the thumb.
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Date: 2009-11-23 08:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-23 08:33 pm (UTC)I assure you I'm nowhere near as clever as any of those other guys you mention!
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Date: 2009-11-23 08:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-23 08:42 pm (UTC)You could always take me up on my Free PDF of Bogus Science offer to see how you get on . . .
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Date: 2009-11-23 08:45 pm (UTC)Hang on, I'll email you...
CORRUPTED SCIENCE
Date: 2009-12-04 02:48 am (UTC)Re: CORRUPTED SCIENCE
Date: 2009-12-06 05:12 pm (UTC)For some reason I've been unable until now to unscreen this.
You might want to check out http://realthog.livejournal.com/136558.html for a response.
response to an ignoramus
Date: 2009-12-04 04:36 am (UTC)Having read CORRUPTED SCIENCE, and in the light of the exposure of global warming as a HOAX, I want to know if you will be publishing a CORRUPTED SCIENCE II to expose the real corruption. This is the most agregious case of scientific corruption in human history.
Only someone of extraordinary stupidity and complete scientific illiteracy would think that global warming has been shown to be "a HOAX" -- someone of stupidity, illiteracy, and an infantile desire to choose to listen only to what you regard as the more comforting of the stories coming your way. Does it ever cross your excessively tiny mind to wonder who's responsible for the lies you're so eager to believe?
You are very wise to remain anonymous. Because of the activities of halfwitted or corrupt AGW deniers such as yourself, there's a verty good chance there won't be very much of the human species in just a few decades' time. Frankly, I don't give a monkey's fuck if your life is cut short by this disaster, but I do very much care about my daughter's future well-being. Anyone who threatens that has a very angry me to contend with. Got that?
Now go crawl back into your pit of ignorance, you idiotic turd.
Oh, and learn to spell "egregious" while you're at it.