Good Guys Are Winning

D R Lunsford once wanted to be astronaut, but society hasn't sent him to Mars just yet. Instead Lunsford comes up with fascinating ideas in physics. Finding an idea that works is also going where no one has gone before. He has managed to publish a paper, Gravitation and Electrodynamics over SO(3,3) concluding mathematically that a "cosmological constant" doesn't exist. His theory provides a way to unite gravity and electromagnetism, a long-sought goal of physics. Despite this major advance, people like Lunsford have difficulty publishing papers.

In Not Even Wrong, Lunsford had some nice words for science bloggers. They are reproduced here in case they get erased elsewhere:

"Yes the science bloggers for the most part go a great job (with notable “variances”). Without them there would be little hope.

"The site mentioned has a detailed description of the cerebral narcissist. Read it through and go down the list of theoretical excrescences and their authors. You will be convinced. Of course, this is a broad cultural phenomenon in the West that touches all areas of life - so why should the academy be spared?

"One thing to remember is that the narcissist, while rather pathetic when exposed, is anything but harmless.-drl

In the battle against "dark energy," this writer wishes to re-emphasise that THE GOOD GUYS ARE WINNING. One prominent advocate of DE was denied tenure at U of Chicago. A key contributor to the Supernova Cosmology Project couldn't get funding, was denied tenure at Vanderbilt and is leaving academia. The SCP and their flagship SNAP project will shortly get some very bad news. They may seek funding from France, since the French have such a record helping Americans. "Dark energy" has eroded the reputation of all physics.

Dictatorship is always good for mediocrity. Remember all those bad paintings of Saddam that used to hang in Baghdad? Or the cheesy posters produced by communism? It is easy to publish papers on string theory or "dark energy." By rewarding those who toe the party line, dictatorship allows an easy way for the mediocre to be successful.

It would be easy to get mad at these folks, but they are getting a worse fate than anger would devise. Since they know how to act out of self-interest, they are welcome to join the winning side. Despite efforts at censorship, more and more people are hearing that "dark energy" doesn't exist. By circumventing mainstream thought, blogging is contributing to advances in science.