Stranger Fruit

The New York Times has run a story about the young earth creationist (and ex-DI Fellow) Marcus Ross who received his PhD in geological sciences. Predictablly, the denizens of Uncommon Descent see this as some sort of victory. Cordova comments:

He serves as a role model for how ID proponents and even young earth creationists can matriculate through Darwinist controlled institutions.

A role model? Perhaps. But only if one believes that it is OK to lie your way through graduate school. As PZ notes:

He was doing “research” on the distribution of mosasaurs 65 million years ago, but what he was actually doing was echoing ideas he disagreed with to fit the expectations of his advisors–he was a complete fraud.

Exactly.

Comments

#1 J-Dog
February 12, 2007

Sal Says: He serves as a role model for how ID proponents and even young earth creationists can matriculate through Darwinist controlled institutions.

Role model hell Sal, it’s another damn miracle!

My guess is that he is just doing what the voices in his head are telling him to do…
#2 Kimbits
February 12, 2007

Hey, that’s insulting to a lot of honest schizophrenics out there.
#3 JohnnieCanuck
February 12, 2007

So the Moonies paid for Wells’ degree. Did the DI pay for Ross’ or was it Jerry Falwell, his new employer?

Liars for Jesus are popping up all over.
#4 s. zeilenga
February 12, 2007

Hey, cool. He is a Rhode Islander too! That means there are at least 2 of us here.

Maybe a RI Creationist Club is in order.

z.
#5 Bunjo
February 12, 2007

If it helps rebalance the world’s karma, I was sent to Sunday School by my parents (and even ‘taught’ the younger kids) but I didn’t really believe in god.
#6 Question
February 13, 2007

John Lynch,
you told us, that Ross hadn’t done any actual research.

Have you himself read the thesis of Marcus Ross?
#7 sparc
February 13, 2007

Scordova: He serves as a role model for how ID proponents and even young earth creationists can matriculate through Darwinist controlled institutions.

The only thing I’ve learned from this is that Salvador and the other guys at UD etc. obviously did not study any science. Otherwise they could play that role model themselves. Does anybody know what Sal did at university besides running an IDEA club?
#8 John Lynch
February 13, 2007

John Lynch,
you told us, that Ross hadn’t done any actual research.

No I didn’t. Now stop being a troll and an apologist for a liar.
#9 Robert O'Brien
February 13, 2007

As I posted elsewhere:

He completed the requirements for a doctoral degree and does not stand accused of academic dishonesty; that is all that matters.

(Disclaimer: I think YEC is codswallop.)
#10 Question
February 13, 2007

John,
Ok. It was my mistake. I imagined, that you agreed (you wrote “Exactly”)with claim, that Ross had made only “research”, not real reseach. But it seems like I was misreading . Im sorry.
#11 DW Kerstetter
February 14, 2007

So, my question is where *was* the major professor in Ross’ (assumed lengthy) doctoral program career? While not all major professors are created equal, even the most callous should have known along the way that his views were not only incongruent with those of his major professor, but also likely not to those views of his committee, his department, and — heck — the mainstream of his field.

Ross may be culpable for fostering a long-term deception, if not actually academic dishonesty, but you can’t award yourself a doctorate. Others in his academic program rightly deserve a bit a blame themselves for allowing this to happen.