Category Archives: Cladism Goes To The Chair

Cladism Goes To The Chair 01: “And This Lie Is Your Path”

Posted on June 12, 2012 by sciencepolice2010

“What do you do if you’re not a scientist, but there’s a field of science you want to knock around in? Say you’ve been interested in animals since before you started collecting them on tea cards but you’ve never designed, … Continue reading →

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Cladism Goes To The Chair 02: The Cult And The Creed

Posted on June 12, 2012 by sciencepolice2010

Because they’re humans even cladist palaeontologists do learn a fair bit of obvious stuff; but without following scientific principles, at best it’s 19th century-style natural history they’re doing, not modern science. (Just one token, but classic, example amongst a host … Continue reading →

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Cladism Goes To The Chair 03: Their Favourite Demons

Posted on June 12, 2012 by sciencepolice2010

I’m going to illustrate their mistakes here, starting with Darren Naish – the archetypal poorly-educated yet ‘fact’-spouting, highly-entertaining but barely scientific cladist natural historian – mainly using exchanges between me and him on his blog. Yes I’ve already highlighted the … Continue reading →

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Cladism Goes To The Chair 04: Others’ Relevant Expertise Doesn’t Count

Posted on June 12, 2012 by sciencepolice2010

Suggesting our differences are due to childish error on my part, in his Longisquama argument Darren Naish uses the ‘lots of others do it so it can’t be wrong’ ploy, with the implied insult that I’m too stupid to see … Continue reading →

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Cladism Goes To The Chair 05: Disparage Opponents, Their Philosophy, And Again Their Genuine Expertise

Posted on June 12, 2012 by sciencepolice2010

Anyone would recognise Naish’s gratuitous disparagement as bad practice in science since it distracts from the true subject matter… but he has no workable alternative: “I so love posting comments on bird origins, Longisquama and so on – always brings … Continue reading →

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Cladism Goes To The Chair 06: Many worse than Naish

Posted on June 12, 2012 by sciencepolice2010

If only it were just him! But that circus contains a constellation of performers, most moving freely between offering useful basic information and unwise cladist advice, a terrible situation for the unwary trying to learn. But they all share the … Continue reading →

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Cladism Goes To The Chair 07: “Peer” Review Dissected

Posted on June 12, 2012 by sciencepolice2010

I wouldn’t mind if the cladists just messed in their sand-pit and left the joined-up-science to the likes of me. But as theirs is a social game, it’s more important for them not to allow their core beliefs to be … Continue reading →

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