Re: What before big bang?

From: Bjoern Feuerbacher (feuerbac_at_thphys.uni-heidelberg.de)
Date: 09/08/04 

Date: Wed, 08 Sep 2004 16:23:39 +0200

YBM wrote:
> Bjoern Feuerbacher a écrit :
>
>> So, what do you think - are the Bogdanovs genuinely deluded and believe
>> that they have really discovered something valuable, or is this all a
>> giant fraud? That they misquote and misrepresent scientists seems to
>> support the latter possibility - but I've already seen many honest
>> people misquoting and misreprenting things, due to being totally
>> deluded and simply not being able to see what they are doing wrong.
>
>
> I think they are genuinely deluded and believe that they have not only
> discovered something valuable, but discovered the *most important thing*
> since the beginning of science : a algebraic proof of the existence of
> God (they did wrote a terrible book years ago about God and the Big
> Bang, where they were "interviewed" by a second-class mystic french
> philosopher).

Oh my goodness. This becomes worse and worse.

It would be nice to see them discussing their "proof" with George
Hammond ("God = G_munu"), Mitchell ("Science without God can't explain
how the universe came into existence"), and, for having a counterpoint,
Franco ("Science does not need of God"). ;-)

> Even if they are more than fifty years old now, they never escaped from
> their college years when they were considered as genious. They spent
> then ten years as TV show animators and went to University quite late,
> unfortunately as their thesis director said, he had a hard time trying
> to convince them they weren't Einstein. They jumped above basic
> mathematics and physics, and went directly to postgraduate mathematical
> physics, it is a very bad sign for this field that two people educated
> enough to write some "impressionist" work but completely unable to grasp
> elementary points such as topology of real numbers, complex numbers
> constructions, classical physics and Special Relativity (their is
> exactly *no* valid statement on SR in their book : their is *no* single
> sentence where words like "event", "space-time", "light cone", etc.
> are used without deep confusion and plain wrong statements)

I see...

> IMHO, they justify to themselves, even the worse things they did like
> "misquoting" scientist in their book, using multiple names on Usenet,
> intimidations, lies and unfair use of their job as a TV animators, by
> he mystic importance of their work, and the conviction that their minds
> are one level ahead of the rest of us, including scientists not only
> like Baez, Schreiber, Woit, but also Alain Connes (Field medal) and
> Georges Charpak (Nobel prize). Just have a look to the incredible letter
> they sent to Urs Schreiber after he's protested to have been "misquoted"
> (Schreiber's comment can be read on his blog :
> http://golem.ph.utexas.edu/string/archives/000377.html )

Thanks, I already looked at Schreiber's comment.

> > Dear Mr Shreiber,
> >
> > Considering the amount of books (Avant le Big Bang) that has been sold
> > last week, a new lot of books has been printed 2 days ago.
> >
> > Following your unexpected reaction,

Unexpected???

> > we have decided to add the
> > missing phrase where you precise "Just to make sure...etc".

Well, that's at least a shred of honesty.

> > In fact, we really do not think that it is a good idea to add this
> > phrase : now your technical point appears much weaker and (since he
> > feels a strong contradiction) the reader gets quite suspicious about
> > your judgement. In a way, instead of being a neutral expert, you
> > suddenly appear as someone who cannot overcome its own contradictory
> > position.

Oh my goodness. I really wonder what is going on in their heads.

> > Too bad, but it was your choice.
> >
> > Best,
> >
> > I/G Bogdanoff
> >
> > PS The book is going to be sold in the US and various other countries.
> > We have 2 options :
> >
> > 1. We publish your text with the correction
> > 2. We suppress it.
> >
> > Tell us your choice.
>
>
> Writing such a scandalous letter, and making it public on the Web, would
> make no sense if they were conscient fraudsters. They are living in a
> fantasy world for too long for them to take contact with reality
> anymore.

Yes, that's quite clear.

Thanks for all the info!

Bye,
Bjoern