PZ is reporting that John Maddox - former editor of Nature - has died at the age of 84. Like PZ, I remember him for his review of Rupert Sheldrake's New Age garbage ("morphic resonance" *shudder*). As commentators over at Pharyngula also note, he was responsible for bringing James Randi on board to study the bogus claims of Jacques Benveniste.
The skeptical community has lost a good friend.
More like this
Of course Denyse O'Leary defends Pivar — any crackpot in denial about evolution is a friend of the IDists.
Time was when I wouldn't have cared much if my alma mater had invited a New Age quack to give a lecture on the university's dime. That was then. This is now.
Richard Dawkins interviewed Rupert Sheldrake on Sheldrake's remarkable assertions about the existence of psychic abilities. Here's Sheldrake's rationalization:
Things have been a bit too serious around here lately.