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Creationist Gets His Bag of Rocks

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

frojack writes:

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That lawsuit was withdrawn by Snelling on June 28.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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Original Submission

• Re:Degree should be revoked (Score: 4, Interesting) by FakeBeldin on Thursday July 13 2017, @11:17AM

  by FakeBeldin (3360) on Thursday July 13 2017, @11:17AM (#538659) Journal

  The real question is how does the park service decide who is allowed to collect samples.

  They send out proposals for peer review. From the fine article:

  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. None felt the project provided any value to justify the collection. One reviewer, the University of New Mexico’s Karl Karlstrom, pointed out that examples of soft-sediment deformation can be found all over the place, so Snelling didn’t need to collect rock from a national park. In the end, Snelling didn’t get his permit.

  Moreover, also from the fine article:

  Not that anything he collects will matter. “Even if I don’t find the evidence I think I will find, it wouldn’t assault my core beliefs,” Snelling told The Australian. “We already have evidence that is consistent with a great flood that swept the world.”

  So he himself does not think that these rocks would be scientifically interesting - they can only substantiate a thesis that he believes already has sufficient evidence, but not refute it.

  So basically, he thinks his rock collection is not of any scientific value. That's a point the reviewers and he agree upon.

  Parent

  Starting Score:	1		point
  Moderation		+2
  Interesting=1, Underrated=1, Total=2
  Extra 'Interesting' Modifier		0
  Karma-Bonus Modifier		+1
  Total Score:		4