tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558306.post354933750220607461..comments2024-03-19T11:13:40.642-07:00Comments on A Different Perspective: Phil Plait, Bad Astronomy and UFOsKRandlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06333125414889883920noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558306.post-34975037483953912322009-10-23T22:33:13.783-07:002009-10-23T22:33:13.783-07:00We have a SETI project to detect patterns of passe...We have a SETI project to detect patterns of passed extraterrestrial intelligence somewhere in the cosmos, and I think that's fair enough for a balanced and well educated group of scientists.<br /><br />The rest of this UFO stuff is hogwash.LLJameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01293349368762910733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558306.post-39915552256599020302009-08-08T13:42:59.839-07:002009-08-08T13:42:59.839-07:00Very well stated Kevin. Although I'm not - an ...Very well stated Kevin. Although I'm not - an astronomer - average or otherwise - I am, I think a fairly intelligent person and it continues to mystify me - how some people have the consuming audacity to stand before the rest of the world (so to speak) and make assenine statements like Phil Plait and the rest of the so-called professionals who couldn't find the forest if they were neck deep in evergreen branches. It's like the ridiculous statements of "No life on other planets because there is no oxygen" - we can't live underwater, but fish and many other marine species survive just fine and I may be wrong but I thought they would be referred to as life-forms - not mammals to be sure, but life-forms nonetheless. I wonder what Mr. Plait's take on the possibility of UFO's and the idea of them knowing how to make their craft invisible? I mean we as a human race are so bright, we're using printed paper as money - backed by rocks - there is a concept so ludicrous as to be laughable if it wan't so sad. The money concept was designed by some highly intelligent and very very selfish madman who's only plan was to ensure their own longevity, while ensuring the total enslavement of the majority of the populace!!Rhode Island Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11954697185509253872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558306.post-75033259910529671952009-08-01T10:15:42.122-07:002009-08-01T10:15:42.122-07:00This gives me the opportunity to make clear that I...This gives me the opportunity to make clear that I am not endorsing Sagan's larger anti-Velikovsky arguments. Sagan, in fact, was far from the most cogent Velikovsky critic. For details, see Henry H. Bauer's Beyond Velikovsky: The History of a Public Controversy (1984), esp. pp. 223-26. <br /><br />Though Bauer devastatingly refutes Velikovsky, whom he judges a crank, he is not enamored of Sagan's efforts. He writes, "Carl Sagan ... evidences few inhibitions in making sweeping, simplistic generalizations in areas where he is hardly expert." Hmm ... you might almost think he could be referring to Phil Plait.Jerry Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02973999338163526808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558306.post-83500565947530143912009-08-01T09:35:43.427-07:002009-08-01T09:35:43.427-07:00More on Phil Plait and Velikovsky can be found at ...More on <a href="http://www.velikovsky.info/Philip_Plait" rel="nofollow">Phil Plait and Velikovsky</a> can be found at the Velikovksy Encyclopedia. This is not to suggest that Velikovsky was right, but that Plait's criticisms were wrong.Mr_Wikidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08356194184769802506noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558306.post-91874478538170488652009-07-31T07:14:34.242-07:002009-07-31T07:14:34.242-07:00Phil Plait demonstrates -- as if it hadn't alr...Phil Plait demonstrates -- as if it hadn't already been demonstrated more times than any human could count -- that it is easier to ridicule than to think. Plait is the laziest of thinkers, though his mouth and fingers seem energetic enough.<br /><br />I recently had occasion to find myself at his website as I was searching for information on a non-UFO subject. It happens to be a subject on which I am no expert and on which I sought informed guidance. As I was reading what he had to say, it occurred to me that if this guy is full of horsehockey on a topic on which I know something (UFOs), how can I trust him on one I don't know?<br /><br />It brought to mind an anecdote Carl Sagan liked to tell. He claimed that once he engaged a specialist in ancient history in a conversation on the (pretty conclusively discredited) theories of Immanuel Velikovsky. Sagan said something like, "Velikovsky's astronomy is terrible, but his ancient history is quite interesting." The ancient historian responded, "Well, I thought his ancient history is terrible, but his astronomy is quite interesting." Where UFO skepticism is concerned, Phil Plait is Immanuel Velikovsky: his credibility demands your ignorance.<br /><br />Incidentally, in the first paragraph, where you write "arguing with we [sic] uninformed UFO nuts," I'm sure you meant "us uninformed UFO nuts."Jerry Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02973999338163526808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558306.post-57130188669756415422009-07-30T10:54:06.311-07:002009-07-30T10:54:06.311-07:00Excellent post Kevin! I was an amateur Astronomer...Excellent post Kevin! I was an amateur Astronomer back in México and saw a lot of very strange objects that were not satellites, the ISS, Venus, and all the other things that debunkers love to mention to discredit everything related to UFOs. I don't think this guy is a skeptic....he is a debunker and like a lot of his kind, he is just ready to deny without taking the time to do any research. A lot of scientists think that makes them look good and objective. They also feel they have the right to say anything stupid and everybody will believe them because of their title.<br /><br />People may believe whatever they want.... I don't have a problem with that. However, I have a big problem with people that love to attack other people.MARLAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00292621969142230398noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558306.post-73405555422617810492009-07-30T00:34:31.489-07:002009-07-30T00:34:31.489-07:00Kevin,
Nice post.
I wrote a comment on Plait'...Kevin,<br /><br />Nice post.<br /><br />I wrote a comment on Plait's blog about a year ago on the subject of astronomers never reporting UFOs (citing Vallee's experience and Hynek's study) but he apparently ignored it. I guess it might be easier to ignore him.<br /><br />It's rather like the trial that physicist Dennis Rawlins went through when he protested that CSICOP's first public critique (of the so-called "Mars Effect") was not scientific because it ignored data that seemed to confirm elements of astrology. It doesn't matter whether astrology is "true" or not--the point was that CSICOP's executive committee suppressed and ignored data that didn't conform to its hypothesis rather than torture the data until they got the answer they wanted (which is what they do now.)<br /><br />Unfortunately, public figures like Plait appear to be Defenders of the Faith rather than scientists when it comes to UFOs.Greg Bishophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06928853660098224055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558306.post-19344005898860998242009-07-29T09:56:49.615-07:002009-07-29T09:56:49.615-07:00Dr. Plait pretends to write poetry, Kevin. I'm...Dr. Plait pretends to write poetry, Kevin. I'm rather more serious with regard to my own... See, sometimes the hypothesis must be complicated of needs. Occam didn't rule that out, eh?<br /><br />http://tinyurl.com/konv2h<br /><br />~<br />alienview@roadrunner.com<br />> www.AlienView.net<br />>> AVG Blog -- http://alienviewgroup.blogspot.com/<br />>>> U F O M a g a z i n e -- www.ufomag.comAlfred Lehmberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02028589165474437987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558306.post-62000017202549105972009-07-29T09:48:31.123-07:002009-07-29T09:48:31.123-07:00quote:
"...Instead they should concentrate on...quote:<br />"...Instead they should concentrate on the fringe areas, abductions and conspiracies (including crashes)."<br /><br />That would be all fine, and good, except that its the manner in which the subject is being handled that is the problem. If any of these subjects you mention, including crashes, were presented with the known ACCURATE facts, first, and then reviewed in an honest manner, then that would be great.Bob Kofordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01739226809252915992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558306.post-46779924025394838002009-07-29T09:18:07.237-07:002009-07-29T09:18:07.237-07:00Skeptics such as Phil Plait are always at risk if ...Skeptics such as Phil Plait are always at risk if they try and trash the entire UFO subject. Instead they should concentrate on the fringe areas, abductions and conspiracies (including crashes). <br />With pure sightings, there are plenty galore in the astronomical journals going back two centuries.<br />Undoubtedly some of these are explainable now (but perhaps not then). But even then there will be a residue that defy explanation, probably forever. And there are of course some recent ones that also defy explanation. Not many in percentage terms, but always a few. You can rightly challenge Plait to explain these. But it is very doubtful if he will bother.<br />He won't have the time, interest or motivation to do so.cdahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01005702597775594084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558306.post-28179355992255840382009-07-29T08:43:47.889-07:002009-07-29T08:43:47.889-07:00His original claim to fame is critiquing fantasy m...His original claim to fame is critiquing fantasy movies for scientific errors. I’m an amateur astronomer who is very familiar with the night sky and I have seen several objects I couldn’t explain. None of which I was able to view in a telescope because of the unpredictable rapid movement.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558306.post-68667035543334522702009-07-28T20:23:48.721-07:002009-07-28T20:23:48.721-07:00quote (revised slightly):
"when is [fill in ...quote (revised slightly):<br /><br />"when is [fill in name here] going to take a look at the actual data rather than live by his personal bias?"<br />..."All they have to do is look."<br /><br />This could be a cookie cutter type question package that fits for more than I could relate here. It is the most disturbing facet in this arena. Who are really the un-informed? We know the answer to that.Bob Kofordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01739226809252915992noreply@blogger.com