It’s always interesting to be an outside observer of conflict, especially scientific battles. I’m watching with interest the stand-off on the climate change “hockey stick” issue which hit the news again yesterday in the Wall Street Journal. Here is the text of the article which provides a good recap of the controversy.
Now, while I understand that it can be a heady experience to be a young researcher and hit the motherlode early out of the gates and this can lead to hubris I think that those close to Dr. Mann need to give him some advice on how to engage in defending oneself in intellectual battle. It’s disappointing to read this direct quote from Dr. Mann:
Mr. McIntyre thinks there are more errors but says his audit is limitedbecause he still doesn’t know the exact computer code Dr. Mann used togenerate the graph. Dr. Mann refuses to release it. “Giving them thealgorithm would be giving in to the intimidation tactics that thesepeople are engaged in,” he says.
Seems a bit thinskinned, don’t you think? I’ve noticed this thin skin in how Dr. Mann’s blog moderates its comments and have pretty much given up on reading the site because of its recent editorial shift to apologia and preemptive defense.
Dr. Mann’s critics are disputing the techniques used in his paper and this is the process of science, not the process of intimidation. Perhaps Dr. Mann’s early success has led to his confusion about how scientific debate is conducted. No matter what associates of Dr. Mann think of Mr. McIntyre and Dr. McKittrick they should advise Dr. Mann that’s he’s coming off as quite defensive and obstructive in this affair. Surely, his work should be able to withstand scrutiny.
Update: It now looks like the Wall Street Journal article is out from behind the subscription wall. Take a look at the hockey stick graph, and the line art drawings of Mann and McIntyre. Here it is.
Posted by TangoMan at 06:13 PM