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Paranormal Regret

By Gregon

Recently, Nobel Laureate Professor Brian Josephson was invited to a physics workshop at the Towler Institute to discuss a particular approach to quantum mechanics. Then, all of a sudden, he was disinvited. The reason? Prof. Josephson is interested in the paranormal.

Dear Prof. Josephson,

I am very sorry to have to inform you that, at my initiative, Mike
Towler and I are withdrawing our invitation for you to attend our
workshop at The Towler Institute this summer.

It has come to my attention that one of your principal research
interests is the paranormal. I have told Dr Towler that, in my view,
it would not be appropriate for someone with such research interests
to attend a scientific conference. On this basis, I have urged him to
agree to withdrawing the invitation, much to his personal regret.

I do wish I had noticed this earlier, the oversight is entirely my fault.

Nothing personal, of course. It is a purely intellectual matter.

We are very sorry for any inconvenience caused, and wish you a pleasant summer.

Personally, I would have replied along the lines of “Dear Mr. Valentini. It has come to my attention that you are an ass. Please accept my regrets for not attending. Nothing personal, of course. It is a purely intellectual matter.”

Greg
Editor
Greg is the owner-editor of The Daily Grail, as well as the author of a number of books including Stop Worrying, There Probably is an Afterlife.
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14 Comments

  1. Oh dear
    If I were Professor Josephson, I’d send Mr Valentini a photo of the Nobel prize with a brief note, “kiss my Josephson junction“.

    What next, the kids of scientists who are interested in the paranormal are barred from swimming pools where skeptic kids go? Can’t eat where skeptics eat? Have to ride separate buses? Yeah, you can see where this is going.

  3. Possibly too far on my part
    “p.s. I failed to mention above that I fear alternative perspectives for the sake of maintaining the ‘see-all, know-all’ persona that I have conjured up for myself. If the science community started questioning the universe to the furthest extent of their minds, theories may be tested and the very core of science (what gets me my paycheck) may root back to square one.

    I would have shed light on my lack of male genitalia, but no one likes a passive elitist.

    I hope you understand and wish you to go fuck yourself.”

  4. Not at all new
    Not surprising because it’s not a new thing. Sir Oliver Joseph Lodge got the same kind of treatment over 100 years ago. And, of course, after Principia, Newton (inventor of the inexplicable ‘gravity’ concept) spent years studying practical alchemy. Physical science students who show any interests in such matters are quietly advised that those interests could jeapordize their career.

    No doubt there’s a back history on this little-known phenomenon, but I’ve never run across it. And then, too, since research funds and opportunities are always limited, the community has to decide what kinds of projects are most likely to produce reproduceable, scientific results with the least chance of scandal or cheating.

    Extraordinary claims require mature researchers with a track record. Thankfully, some of them are willing to make career sacrifices in order to tackle these difficult questions.

  5. oh yeah
    “Dear Mr. Valentini. Please accept my regrets for not attending. Last year I had a grand time boning your wife while she wore my Nobel prize. Nothing personal, of course. It was a purely intellectual matter. I am very sorry for any stained bed sheets, and wish you a pleasant summer.”

  6. Appalling
    This letter sickens me.
    And their attitude is all the more perplexing considering that the Towler Institute is housed in a Tuscan 16th century monastery – and the Institute holds, as part of its collection, artifacts from Tesla, a “dried cthulhu spawn”, and Alister Crowley’s Medusa statue.
    http://www.vallico.net/tti/tti.html

  7. Revenge For Josephson Speaking Up for Natasha Demkina
    To me, Greg, this is almost akin to racism, say, or homophobia or gerontophobia.

    It’s certainly culturalist: i.e., akin to, say, a German scientist requesting the deinviting of another scientist because they’re TOO French.

    You could understand if Josephson was notorious for using such workshops for sexual predation or scamming people with bankers’ ponzi schemes or even pushing ideological agendas, (actually, no, skip that last one: as Valentini’s shown, the last one’s actually permitted).

    Even then if such an individual’s field of expertise was germane to the workshop, you’d tell them to behave – otherwise they’ll be out on their earhole.

    Valentini almost seems to view Josephson as some sort of poorly educated cretin who’s been inadvertently offered a professorship instead of the job as janitor he originally applied for.

    What does that even mean: it’s purely an intellectual matter?

    I suppose straight after Dawkins arrests the Pope he’ll be slapping the handcuffs on Josephson for the crime of not going along unquestioningly with the pronouncements of his intellectual superiors.

    If Josephson was known to like looking at pictures of naked men there wouldn’t be a problem, but because in his case it might be pictures of ‘ghosts’, suddenly he’s persona non grata.

    Sheesh!

  8. Stuckists
    I’ve got a problem with Stuckism, a movement which I note from their website they’re keen to support. And as pissed off as I am that they’d repeal an invitation based on the fact that Josephson investigates the paranormal, if I’d invited one of them over for dinner and then found out of the founders has a Stuckist wife, I’d consider asking them not to turn up after all. Even if they were bringing dessert.

  10. Political Correctness is the main problem
    Political Correctness is the new plague of the 21th century. Perhaps it is not as deadly as the black death in the middle ages but it sure causes some serious brain rot though. If you happen to have different opinion to that of the “mainstream” consensus, then you get labelled either “believer”, “racist”, “bigot” or whatever tickles their fancy. So now the brain rot has come to the Trowler Institute as well.

  11. Reading Between the Lines
    If you read between the lines it really says:

    Dear Prof. Josephson,

    I am very sorry to have to inform you that, at my initiative, Mike Towler and I are withdrawing our invitation for you to attend our workshop at The Towler Institute this summer.

    It has come to my attention that I am perhaps the ultimate douchebag. I realized this after I told Dr Towler that, in my view, it would not be appropriate for anyone with research interests with which I do not agree to attend our scientific conference. I know that you have won a Nobel prize in physics, that I am not worthy to lick your bottom, and that my actions here are completely irrational, but due to my uncontrollable doucebaggery I have nevertheless urged Dr Towler to
    agree to withdrawing the invitation, much to his personal regret.

    Nothing personal, of course. It is a purely “intellectual” matter, whatever the hell that means. (Or maybe I meant to say “anti-intellectual?” Hell, I don’t know. Let’s just move on.)

    If it is any consolation, we have also rescinded the invitations of all Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Jews because we do not agree with their interest in this “God” thing. Accordingly, attendance at the conference has been pretty much reduced to Dr. Towler, me and our cats. I know you were very much looking forward to spending time with the likes of us, and we are terribly sorry to disappoint.

    We also are very sorry for any inconvenience caused, and wish you a pleasant summer.

        1. Amazingly prissy behavior for
          Amazingly prissy behavior for modern scientists. The grounds for refusal are almost quaint. It reads like an event from Victorian England where accidents of misdress or birth might disnivite one from various participations.

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