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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 08/25/2007 : 09:18:28 [Permalink]
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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.
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“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 |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
Posted - 08/25/2007 : 10:51:22 [Permalink]
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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. |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 08/25/2007 : 20:36:51 [Permalink]
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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.
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“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 |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 08/26/2007 : 00:08:17 [Permalink]
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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. |
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“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 |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 08/26/2007 : 04:45:10 [Permalink]
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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:
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“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 |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 08/27/2007 : 03:49:55 [Permalink]
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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:
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“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 |
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H. Humbert
SFN Die Hard
USA
4574 Posts |
Posted - 08/28/2007 : 20:03:52 [Permalink]
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Pivar has chickened out.
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"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 |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 08/28/2007 : 21:16:32 [Permalink]
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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.
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“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 |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
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