Re: Jim Berkland Earthquake Predictions


>It is amazing to watch an apparently literate and inquisitive person
>like him issue predictions every month for decades, but never do the
>simple tests whether the predictions are meaningful. When pressed, he
>becomes shrill, gives anecdotal evidence, and cites the conspiracy of
>"High Science" for his lack of credibility

(Hi John.) There is another case, less famous but I know some here
have been aware of it, of an individual claiming remarkable success
with prediction-related research. This individual had the wherewithal
to enter a PhD program--in itself highly laudible--and pursue his ideas
with better training. He gave a number of talks at meetings: on the
surface, the results were intriguing, and I know for a fact that a
number of serious scientists approached this guy expressing
interest--even offering to help with--the papers that would
present/flesh out the results. To my knowledge, the guy never took
anyone up on any of those offers. He scraped through the degree
program but, if anything resembling a decent paper was ever put
together, I haven't seen it. As soon as he lost the support he'd had
as a student he was back to predicting earthquakes (for profit) outside
the mainstream, also spouting claims of persecution by the big, bad
establishment. This is one of two stories about which I have direct
knowledge -- sounds like Berkland is a 3rd.

To paraphrase the Piano Man, conspiracy is so much fun...black and
white for everyone to see. But when you really dig into stories like
these, you start to understand where the "establishment's" irritation
comes from.

Susan

.

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