Keith,

I don't care how long you've known Rummel. The dutch elm disease comment was a flat out lapse of logic and it doesn't take a degree in biology to see it. Rather than spouting chest thumping relevant degree rank remarks, I'll just say I have good reason to trust my ability to spot flawed logic. I will put my ability up against yours or Rummel's anyday when it comes to spotting arguments that don't add up.

I really expected better from you. I've seen you admit your own errors on occasion, I don't see why you can't admit a friend made one as well. I certainly did not mean to imply Rummel was incompetant. Merely that he seemed to be speaking in a reactive rather than thoughtful manner in his response to Zubrin. It is also ridiculous to claim anyone doesn't make mistakes regardless of their level of expertise. This seems to be a frequent error on Zubrin's part and one I thought you were on guard against with regard to everyone at NASA.

I don't toss any terms out without knowing what they are. I know full well what an autotroph is and making your comment rather than addressing the point that your examples aren't is no more rational than any of Zubrin, Rummels, or DiGregorio's mistakes. I'm sure you know more about the number and characteristics of microbes than I do, and that is why I said your examples didn't sound like autotrophs to me, not because I don't understand the term.

I would love for you or anyone else to give me constructive criticism in areas where my knowlege is inadequate to help the website Matt and I are working on, but your emphasis on personalities, degrees, and motives sounds almost DiGregorian. Why not address the biological systems and examples I mentioned? As Carl Sagan said "there are no authorities in science". Everyone's theories are subject to criticism.

With regard to our website: The developmental version already has links posted to several articles by/on Rummel as well as the other articles available online in response to Zubrin.

Now we can debate the issue rationally or you can go and get all huffy and try and pull relevant degree rank. I don't really care.

Regards,
Mark