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posted by cmn32480 on Wednesday July 12 2017, @07:33PM   Printer-friendly
from the rocky-way-to-start-research dept.

Remember when we discussed Rocks Request Rejection issue back in May? The discussion was nothing if not spirited.

Andrew Snelling, who got a PhD in geology before joining Answers in Genesis, continues working to interpret the canyon in a way that is consistent with his views. In 2013, he requested permission from the National Park Service to collect some rock samples in the canyon for a new project to that end.
...
The National Park Service sent Snelling's proposal out for review, having three academic geologists who study the canyon look at it. Those reviews were not kind. Snelling didn't get his permit. Snelling sued.

Well It turns out the guy gets to harvest his bag-o-rocks because the the National Park Service has decided its easier to give a few rocks than take the religious flack.

That lawsuit was withdrawn by Snelling on June 28. According to a story in The Australian, Snelling withdrew his suit because the National Park Service has relented and granted him his permit. He will be able to collect about 40 fist-sized samples, provided that he makes the data from any analyses freely available.

Further he promises to publish his findings in a peer reviewed journal. Perhaps even his own journal. Perhaps even his own peers.


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  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by Nerdfest on Wednesday July 12 2017, @08:06PM (7 children)

    by Nerdfest (80) on Wednesday July 12 2017, @08:06PM (#538295)

    The PhD just means that he's capable of thought and reason. It doesn't mean he needs to actually be thoughtful or reasonable.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 12 2017, @08:12PM (3 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 12 2017, @08:12PM (#538300)

    PhD means he has done original research. It doesn't mean what he's doing at the moment qualifies as scientific.

    • (Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Wednesday July 12 2017, @08:35PM (2 children)

      by Grishnakh (2831) on Wednesday July 12 2017, @08:35PM (#538317)

      Yes, but the degree basically means the school is vouching for him in the degree field (in this case, the science of geology) and claiming him to be competent in that field. He clearly is not.

      Obviously, my idea opens a big bag of worms and really isn't workable: should colleges monitor graduates for decades to make sure they aren't going off the rails? Should a medical school revoke the degree of a doctor who turns into an alternative-medicine-practicing quack? But I would like to point out that in actual professional associations, they absolutely will revoke your license if you prove yourself incompetent. Lawyers who do really rotten things to abuse their position are disbarred and unable to practice law. Doctors who commit malpractice can lost their license.

      • (Score: 2) by krishnoid on Wednesday July 12 2017, @08:46PM (1 child)

        by krishnoid (1156) on Wednesday July 12 2017, @08:46PM (#538323)

        should colleges monitor graduates for decades to make sure they aren't going off the rails? Should a medical school revoke the degree of a doctor who turns into an alternative-medicine-practicing quack?

        Sure, why not? They could offer a small tuition rebate or gift card for school clothing yearly to anyone who joins the alumni association and keeps their information up-to-date.

        • (Score: 2) by PiMuNu on Thursday July 13 2017, @12:26PM

          by PiMuNu (3823) on Thursday July 13 2017, @12:26PM (#538672)

          In the UK, we have the General Medical Council who license medical doctors to practice. This is effectively what you are talking about. No such provision exists for non-medical doctors

  • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday July 12 2017, @08:57PM

    by JoeMerchant (3937) on Wednesday July 12 2017, @08:57PM (#538333)

    I thought the PhD just meant that he managed to please his defense committee sufficiently to get them to sign off. There are many ways to please a review committee, and I've met more than one PhD who seemed to get their degree awarded as a way for the committee to get the individual out of the institution where they won't be bothered by them anymore.

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  • (Score: 2) by drussell on Wednesday July 12 2017, @09:25PM

    by drussell (2678) on Wednesday July 12 2017, @09:25PM (#538359) Journal

    The PhD just means that he's capable of thought and reason. It doesn't mean he needs to actually be thoughtful or reasonable.

    Are you sure about that?

    Have you seen those morons from the Batteriser debacle, for instance? Those guys are PhDs....

    Though, I suppose, maybe they do actually know what they're doing, yet just trying to pull a snowjob on everyone else, but I'm not so sure they're always even as capable of thought and reason as you may suspect...

    :facepalm:

  • (Score: 2) by opinionated_science on Thursday July 13 2017, @12:26PM

    by opinionated_science (4031) on Thursday July 13 2017, @12:26PM (#538671)

    thought and reason at one moment in time. Not sure, it counts when you are not actively using it....

    No point revoking a PhD - the "appeal to authority" is of no use in science, even though there are some egotistical charlatans using it that way to make a crust...

    Don't get me start on the DO's....complete bollocks.