From:    Mark T. VandeWettering
To:      All                                    Msg #159, Oct-06-93 05:22PM
Subject: Re: Forrest Mims: Setting the record straight on SciAm (Part 1

Organization: Pixar -- Point Richmond, California
Subject: Re: Forrest Mims: Setting the record straight on SciAm (Part 1 of 1)
From: markv@pixar.com (Mark T. VandeWettering)
Message-ID: 
Newsgroups: sci.skeptic,talk.origins


I, for one, found Mr. Mims' response to be clearly and lucidly presented.
I find it interesting that the issue of Mr. Mims' private beliefs have
become such an issue at Scientific American.

I personally think that C. L. Stong's column Amateur Scientist WAS Scientific
American.  Science used to be a respectable way to occupy time between
work and sleep.  Stong clearly indicated that amateurs could experiment,
learn and make valuable contribitions about scientific matters.  The loss
of the Amateur Scientist (along with Martin Gardner's column) reduce
Scientific American to "reading about science" instead of "experiencing
science and the scientific method".

Mr. Mims' seems to be very sincere in his views, both personal and public.
He claims to have no hidden agenda, and I believe that he does not.  Let's
face it, his track record on this is as close to spotless as anyone.
In reading about some of the projects he had planned to present in Scientific
American, I can not help but feel a sense of loss that they will not be
presented in such a widely available forum.

If I had a bit of advice for Scientific American, it would be to
screw whatever imagined PR problems they think they have, mend the
feud that they seem to have with Mims, and get some fun, serious
articles for us amateur scientists out!  If I had a bit for Mr.
Mims, it would be keep up the good work, and keep trying.  There
are many of us out here who would love to see some good amateur
scientist articles published.


                              Mark VandeWettering
                              Amateur Telescope Maker