X-Andrew-Authenticated-as: 7997;andrew.cmu.edu;Ted Anderson
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Normally, I avoid discussing Velikovskyism on the net. However, Mr. van
der Griendt seems to be a non-native English speaker who is taking Mr.
Neff's article a little too literally.
I'm cross-posting to sci.skeptic and directing followups there (I hope
sci.skeptic is availiable in Europe) since this topic really belongs
there.
henk@spex1.uucp (Henk van der Griendt) writes:
}tneff@bfmny0.UU.NET (Tom Neff) writes:
}
}>The burden of proof is on Velikovsky, not the rest of the world. Until
}>conventional explanations prove incapable of explaining conditions on
}>Mars, Jupiter and Venus -- something that ain't happened yet -- we don't
}>need to adduce comets emitting themselves from Jupiter and careening all
}>over the Solar System to explain things.
}
}1st: Velikovsky died some time ago. So his burden is over.
The burden of proof is on those who seriously advocate Velikovsky's ideas,
of course. In this case, "Velikovsky" is used as short hand for those
people.
}2nd: Since when do conventional explanations exist for the conditions on
} the planets ( or am I ignorant ?).
You are ignorant. Velikovsky's ideas contradict some well established
theories of celestial mechanics as well as the results of the various
space probes and observations from Earth.
}>Velikovsy's "theories" belong more to the sociocultural history of
}>Russian mysticism than to cosmogeny or physics. Their enduring
}>popularity among the Fort-and-Fuller crowd is a monument to the tenacity
}>of good old American trailer park know-nothing-ism. Personally I'm a
}>*real* big fan.
}
}3rd: How do you come to your conclusion about Russian mysticism?
}4th: What is a Fort-and-Fuller crowd (remember, I am a european) ?
} What has that to do with trailers?
Fort is Charles Fort, a man who collected reports of unusual
phenomena. He seemed to gather his data from popular accounts and did
little investigation of their veracity (much like many of the
UFOlogists do today). I assume Fuller is Buckminster Fuller, but I'm
not sure why he's lumped in with Fort.
The "trailer park know-nothing-ism" refers to a tendency among certain
classes of Americans to believe in all sorts of pseudo-scientific
theories (pyramid power, for example) which sound neat and offer a quick
and easy way to learn the secrets of the universe.
}5th: Of what are you a fan?
That was sarcasm.
}>I note in passing that VELIKOVSKY is a clever anagram for ELVIS YVOKK,
}>which well-read para-students will recognize as The King's Atlantean
}>name before he was lowered to Earth from a Crystal UFO in the Tennessee
}>backwoods back in 1951. What does the Air Force know about this???? and
}>why won't so called scientists admit it???! :-)
}
}6th: If they are anagrams, it could be the other way round:
} Velikovsky was born in the 19th century under that name if I am well
} informed, and started to publish long before 1951.
}So why did you write that ?
This was parody, although probably not of Velikovsky. There are those
writers in this genre (pseudo-science) who dig up obscure coincidences
or make their own peculiar interprtation of archeological objects and then
accuse scientists of ignoring or suppressing the "Truth" about UFO's or
whatever. Blaming the military of being in on the conspiracy is also
quite popular.
---
Dan Tilque -- dant@mrloog.WR.TEK.COM
------------------------------
Date: 8 Apr 90 19:51:49 GMT
From: zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!uflorida!haven!uvaarpa!murdoch!astsun.astro.Virginia.EDU!gsh7w@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Greg S. Hennessy)
Subject: Re: HST Image Status for 04/01/90 (Forwarded)
In article <1990Apr7.184400.2108@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
