Skeptic Friends Network

Username:
Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?
Home | Forums | Active Topics | Active Polls | Register | FAQ | Contact Us  
  Connect: Chat | SFN Messenger | Buddy List | Members
Personalize: Profile | My Page | Forum Bookmarks  
 All Forums
 Our Skeptic Forums
 Creation/Evolution
 Pivar sues PZ for libel
 New Topic  Reply to Topic
 Printer Friendly Bookmark this Topic BookMark Topic
Previous Page
Author Previous Topic Topic Next Topic
Page: of 2

HalfMooner
Dingaling

Philippines
15831 Posts

Posted - 08/25/2007 :  09:18:28   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send HalfMooner a Private Message  Reply with Quote
PZ Meyers now references this Stranger Fruit page, which has a letter to Pivar from an attorney who explains the legal resaons why Pivar's lawsuit is nonsense.

Also, I've noticed a trend: Nearly everyone's calling that douchebag crackpot Stuart Pivar a "crackpot" now. A week ago, hardly anyone had heard his name, but now his picture's in the dictionary next to the term.

And Pivar is a crackpot. But not a "classic" one like PZ said. Just a plain, asshole crackpot.


Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive.
Edited by - HalfMooner on 08/25/2007 09:28:54
Go to Top of Page

Dave W.
Info Junkie

USA
26022 Posts

Posted - 08/25/2007 :  10:51:22   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Dave W.'s Homepage Send Dave W. a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by HalfMooner

Also, I've noticed a trend: Nearly everyone's calling that douchebag crackpot Stuart Pivar a "crackpot" now. A week ago, hardly anyone had heard his name, but now his picture's in the dictionary next to the term.
There have been numerous calls across the blogosphere for turning this into an "I'm Spartacus! Moment," with as many as possible saying "Pivar is a crackpot!"

I was thinking of making a T-shirt.

- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too.
Go to Top of Page

HalfMooner
Dingaling

Philippines
15831 Posts

Posted - 08/25/2007 :  20:36:51   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send HalfMooner a Private Message  Reply with Quote
One of the saddset things in all this is that drive behind Pivar's notion (it's probably too vague to call a "hypothesis") may not be all that crazy. The whole developmental subject of how undifferentiated cells organize themselves is a wide-open field within science, with more questions than answers at present. But Pivar's not working within science, and only offers pretty pictures for his argument, and lawsuits in its defense.

I think the $15 million lawsuit damages figure may be a symbolic reference to Pivar's friend, Andy Warhol, and the latter's famous "fifteen minutes of fame" quote.

I feel that the term, "crackpot" is a legitimate scientific term, with a long and hallowed history. It would be nice if someone would make the effort to run the full Baez Crackpot Index on Pivar, so that we might informally quantify his crackpotiness.


Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive.
Edited by - HalfMooner on 08/25/2007 21:23:35
Go to Top of Page

HalfMooner
Dingaling

Philippines
15831 Posts

Posted - 08/26/2007 :  00:08:17   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send HalfMooner a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Here's something from Finnish former model Heli Vaaranen, who was an insider of Warhol's glittering and carefully exclusive circle. (Vaaranen, I believe, is now a social scientist with a PhD living in Sweden.) It provides, I think, psychological background and relevance to the Warhol-Pivar friendship, and helps explain crackpot Pivar's actions now.


Heli Vaaranen.

It may help to understand why Pivar is now handling scientific criticism of his crackpot book by suing:
Both Andy and Stuart selected the company they associated with Very carefully. Andy used to say that 'It's great to buy friends'. Vaaranen agrees that Andy's famous friends were bought with his fame.



Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive.
Edited by - HalfMooner on 08/26/2007 00:09:09
Go to Top of Page

HalfMooner
Dingaling

Philippines
15831 Posts

Posted - 08/26/2007 :  04:45:10   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send HalfMooner a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I have been unable to find so much as a single photo of Stuart Pivar on the Web, aside from that 80's-era photo of him and Andy Warhol. I wanted a picture of how he looks today.

I got so frustrated, that I did the next best thing: I ran the image through Photoshop CS3's little known "Aging" filter. After moving the slider ahead 20 years, here's the result:




Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive.
Edited by - HalfMooner on 08/26/2007 05:00:46
Go to Top of Page

HalfMooner
Dingaling

Philippines
15831 Posts

Posted - 08/27/2007 :  03:49:55   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send HalfMooner a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Word on the street in the publishing district of downtown Half Moon Bay is that crackpot former scientist Stuart Pivar has decided to retitle and reissue his "Lifecode" book. Here's the new cover:


Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive.
Edited by - HalfMooner on 08/27/2007 05:10:24
Go to Top of Page

H. Humbert
SFN Die Hard

USA
4574 Posts

Posted - 08/28/2007 :  20:03:52   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send H. Humbert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Pivar has chickened out.


"A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true." --Demosthenes

"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool." --Richard P. Feynman

"Face facts with dignity." --found inside a fortune cookie
Go to Top of Page

HalfMooner
Dingaling

Philippines
15831 Posts

Posted - 08/28/2007 :  21:16:32   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send HalfMooner a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Ain't that wonderful? Now PZ can concentrate once again on science, and being his irascible self.

But I do admit being a bit disappointed that crackpot Pivar didn't get his just comeuppance in court.


Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive.
Edited by - HalfMooner on 08/28/2007 21:17:01
Go to Top of Page

Dave W.
Info Junkie

USA
26022 Posts

Posted - 09/07/2007 :  13:57:44   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Dave W.'s Homepage Send Dave W. a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Last little whimper of the Pivar story.

- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too.
Go to Top of Page
Page: of 2 Previous Topic Topic Next Topic  
Previous Page
 New Topic  Reply to Topic
 Printer Friendly Bookmark this Topic BookMark Topic
Jump To:

The mission of the Skeptic Friends Network is to promote skepticism, critical thinking, science and logic as the best methods for evaluating all claims of fact, and we invite active participation by our members to create a skeptical community with a wide variety of viewpoints and expertise.


Home | Skeptic Forums | Skeptic Summary | The Kil Report | Creation/Evolution | Rationally Speaking | Skeptillaneous | About Skepticism | Fan Mail | Claims List | Calendar & Events | Skeptic Links | Book Reviews | Gift Shop | SFN on Facebook | Staff | Contact Us

Skeptic Friends Network
© 2008 Skeptic Friends Network Go To Top Of Page
This page was generated in 0.17 seconds.
Powered by @tomic Studio
Snitz Forums 2000