To be more accurate, Alex, I think it is fairer to say that Trieman is unofficial leader of the "red team" against McKay's "blue team".

I have witnessed numerous vituperitive debates between these people with hands clenched white in rage, bodies shaking and trembling, voices raised, and spittle flying.

I'm amazed it never came to physical blows!

And after each person spoke, their team clapped and cheered, and slapped them on the back.

It was VERY unscientific.

Now all that may sound very emotional and unscientific, but what has been happening is that McKay et al. "cheated" in the scientific process. They got Presidential support for a premature conclusion in a highly contentious area.

The scientific "establishment" banded together to try to undo this "unfair" promotion of unscientific claims, and the McKay team banded together to try and protect their reputations.

Pretty soon, nobody cared about the Nobel prize, it was their careers on the line...

(in contrast, debate about CO2 and H2O on Mars has been much more restrained and rational) :-]