User:BruceGrubb

Despite my high functionally autism (originally diagnosed as hyperkaisis better known as ADHD) I have a Masters in Anthropology from NMSU as well as a degree in accounting from DACC with one of my most influential professors regarding my approach to science being the late Fred Plogg whose views were very much like James Burke's

I developed and chaired interactive 90-minute informational/instructional presentation on behalf of NMSU's museum on budget wise computerization for small and medium-sized museums:

Mountain Plains Museums Annual Meeting (10/05/1995) and

Museum Association of Arizona Annual Meeting (05/19/1996).

On a more personal level I have little tolerance for edits that use quotes that engage in any of the stuff outlined in Carl Sagan's Baloney Detection Kit. The ones that annoy me the most are:

• Ad hominem quotes (like the dreaded "no reputable scholar" or "all respected scholars agree..." quotes)

Even with fringe theories there should be better quotes addressing problems with the theory rather than attacking any person who supports the fringe theory under such a broad umbrella as Ad hominem. Given the wide range of defamation such quotes may violate Wikipedia:Libel so it is best to simply avoid them.

• Argument from "authority"

This is a real problem as people will assume simply because someone is with an accredited institution he is an expert (even if it is unclear what his degree is in)

• Ignoring "Occam's razor"
• Observational selection
• Inconsistency (the source points out there problems with the material but then uses it ignoring the very problems pointed out)
• Non sequitur (position requires ignoring other implications that are common knowledge)
• Excluded middle
• Weasel words

Accuracy is important

Another thing I have little tolerance for is poor research especially when it is on the skeptical side of a debate. The fight against pseudoscience and the anti-science movement requires that what we say be as accurate as is possible. The moment we make easily disproved claims we become as bad as what we rail against--in fighting the dragon with such methods we become the dragon.