Controversial Paleontologist

[Nick Pharris <npharris@umich.edu>]

Quoting Richard Peirce <rpnr@ix.netcom.com>:

> There's a story in today's New York Times about a fellow, Marcus Ross, who
> recently was granted a Ph.D. In vert paleo from the University of Rhode
> Island. Incredible? No, it's for real.

Stepping around the specific topic at hand, if someone were to master 
all the analytical skills necessary to write a good dissertation on how 
the fluid dynamics of earth's (spherical) outer core give rise to the 
planet's magnetic field, I would have no problem with granting that 
person a Ph.D. in geophysics, even if in his/her heart of hearts, s/he 
believed the earth to be flat.

Now, if said person were to go out on the stump saying things like "The 
earth is flat.  I know; I've got a Ph.D. in geophysics," where what the 
person was claiming fundamentally clashed with the nature of the work 
that earned the degree, then we would have a problem.

--
Nick Pharris
Department of Linguistics
University of Michigan

"Creativity is the sudden cessation of stupidity."
    --Edwin H. Land