https://news.berkeley.edu/2023/05/11/james-valentine-paleontologist-who-grappled-with-the-origin-of-animal-diversity-has-died-at-96

On Sunday, January 7, 2024 at 1:52:19 PM UTC-5, erik simpson wrote:

> https://news.berkeley.edu/2023/05/11/james-valentine-paleontologist-who-grappled-with-the-origin-of-animal-diversity-has-died-at-96

I agree that he was a giant, especially to the degree that he influenced so many researchers.

But it is fascinating to see that his approach was that of a theoretician:

"His Ph.D. thesis was one of the last times he conducted fieldwork. The remainder of his career was mostly theoretical, as he mined the paleontology literature and museum collections to understand the origin of animal diversity."

In contrast, what is supposedly held in high regard is publication of research involving experiments
or "fieldwork." A common way of denigrating scientists is to claim that they don't "do science"
if they lack such publications.

Several scientists who are on-topic for talk.origins come to mind here.
Some called "BANDITS" are on-topic for s.b.p.

Peter Nyikos
Professor, Dept. of Mathematics -- standard disclaimer--
University of South Carolina
https://people.math.sc.edu/nyikos

On 1/25/24 4:58 PM, Peter Nyikos wrote:
> On Sunday, January 7, 2024 at 1:52:19 PM UTC-5, erik simpson wrote:
>
>> https://news.berkeley.edu/2023/05/11/james-valentine-paleontologist-who-grappled-with-the-origin-of-animal-diversity-has-died-at-96
>
> I agree that he was a giant, especially to the degree that he influenced so many researchers.
>
> But it is fascinating to see that his approach was that of a theoretician:
>
> "His Ph.D. thesis was one of the last times he conducted fieldwork. The remainder of his career was mostly theoretical, as he mined the paleontology literature and museum collections to understand the origin of animal diversity."
>
>
> In contrast, what is supposedly held in high regard is publication of research involving experiments
> or "fieldwork." A common way of denigrating scientists is to claim that they don't "do science"
> if they lack such publications.
>
> Several scientists who are on-topic for talk.origins come to mind here.
> Some called "BANDITS" are on-topic for s.b.p.

They are not, however, on-topic for a thread about Jim Valentine, and it
was in poor taste to use the opportunity to deflect the subject.

On 1/25/24 4:58 PM, Peter Nyikos wrote:
> On Sunday, January 7, 2024 at 1:52:19 PM UTC-5, erik simpson wrote:
>
>> https://news.berkeley.edu/2023/05/11/james-valentine-paleontologist-who-grappled-with-the-origin-of-animal-diversity-has-died-at-96
>
> I agree that he was a giant, especially to the degree that he influenced so many researchers.
>
> But it is fascinating to see that his approach was that of a theoretician:
>
> "His Ph.D. thesis was one of the last times he conducted fieldwork. The remainder of his career was mostly theoretical, as he mined the paleontology literature and museum collections to understand the origin of animal diversity."
>
>
> In contrast, what is supposedly held in high regard is publication of research involving experiments
> or "fieldwork." A common way of denigrating scientists is to claim that they don't "do science"
> if they lack such publications.
>
> Several scientists who are on-topic for talk.origins come to mind here.
> Some called "BANDITS" are on-topic for s.b.p.
>
>
> Peter Nyikos
> Professor, Dept. of Mathematics -- standard disclaimer--
> University of South Carolina
> https://people.math.sc.edu/nyikos

I've never heard of any knowledgeable person denigrate any "theoretical"
paleontologist or any other scientist for lack of field/experimental
work, let alone James valentine.

As for BANDITs, at one time a healthy skepticism was a perfectly
justifiable position. More recently, continued skepticism not so much.