[meteorite-list] Re: Hoagland

From: Bob Martino <martino.6_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:02:26 2004
Message-ID: <v03130306b8ad962ee639_at_[65.24.110.16]>

The November/December issue of Skeptical Inquirer has a long article about
Mr. Nutcase Hoagland. Very enlightening.

>Having said that, as I understand it Mr Hoagland was one of the first people
>to openly suggest that there may be primitive lifeforms beneath the ice on
>Europa,

As I understand it, there is no evidence that this statement is true.

>an idea which is almost universally accepted by exo-biologists now,

An idea "universally accepted" by a group of scientists when there isn't a
shred of evidence to support it? Unlikely.

>so let's not condemn the guy *totally*.

Sure. He produces valuable carbon dioxide and fertilizers for the plant
life on Earth.

>It's all good for debate and
>increasing public interest in Mars, which is what we really need if we've to
>have any hope of staging a manned mission anytime soon.

It's all good for perpetuating long-standing conspiracy theories, outright
lies, superstitions, and crank publications at the expense of real science
content which is what the public _really_ wants but too often cannot get
thanks to the nutcases setting the public agenda.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bob Martino Can you really name a star?
                                   http://home.columbus.rr.com/starfaq/
"I look up to the heavens
 but night has clouded over
 no spark of constellation
 no Vela no Orion." -Enya
Received on Thu 07 Mar 2002 05:20:34 PM PST