Can’t swing a dead cat in my area wo/ hitting a PhD. They presumably
know their stuff too but hardly going to change the world.
Except when “findings” are released for public consumption.
That is when the application of HLMencken famous line comes into
play: No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence
of the American public.”
And this is certainly how we keep our budgets flowing: if not
able to dazzle w/ brilliance, then baffle w/ bullshit. AND ALWAYS
ALWAYS talk down to the non-scientist audience.
IOW, don;t believe everything you read esp when it appears in a Limey
newspaper and quotes raving Canadians.
God! I love being a scientist!
MV
Lee Smolin is American. Born in NYC. Harvard PhD. FWIW.
"If you can't baffle them with bullshit, riddle them with bullets." - Old RPG proverb
assuming an underlying economic motive in anything is a pretty good policy, seems pretty obvious, but otoh few if any here are qualified to actually critique his theory, so discussion options are limited...
but comments about his employment status and ability) did seem irrelevant as to his ability to work with the subject matter in question.