Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Big Ideas that Don’t Float.


Too many holes in this concept for it too float, even if the ornamental pond was big enough.

It seems that Jason Lisle of Answers in Genesis is convinced that his "Anisotropic Synchrony Convention" solution to the YEC Star Light problem is “still going strong”, three months after its publication in September 2010. In this blog entry on AiG dated 3rd January he says:

So far, no one has published in a peer-reviewed journal any criticism of this model. Of course, there have been some evolutionists who simply mocked the paper since it goes against their strongly held beliefs. But that is hardly a rational response. So far, no rebuttals have been submitted for publication in the ARJ, (=Answers Research Journal) which would be the scholarly way to point out problems with a published model. This gives us increased confidence in the ASC model. ASC seems to lack the scientific problems which plague other creation-based starlight models and enjoys much scriptural support as well.

Over a month later he’s still got no responses and in a blog entry  dated 10 February he says:

In my last blog entry, I mentioned that no one has yet published any attempted rebuttal of the Anisotropic Synchrony Convention (ASC) model. I was rather hoping that someone would make the attempt, so that I could then write a follow-up article. Sometimes the best way to show the strength of a model is to show the weaknesses in attempted rebuttals. Although no one has submitted any rebuttals to the Answers Research Journal.

He then goes on to consider some questions sent to him that revolve round attempts to measure the one way speed of light, which is not the way to fault Lisle’s work. In my blog entry here I considered Lisle’s model. I suggested that Lisle’s requirement of an anisotropy in the speed of light such that it is infinite or nearly infinite along a geocentric pattern of radials directed toward the vicinity of the Earth, implies that the space-time metrical tensor varies from place, thus setting up a gravitational field. This means that the “Anisotropic Synchrony Convention”,  as Lisle uses it, is not an arbitrary convention at all but is, in fact, physical. He seems to have been mislead by the fact that the one way speed of light is non-physical if and only if the direction of the anisotropy is independent of position.

It seems fairly obvious to me that not many mainstream scientists take the “Answers Research Journal” seriously enough to submit rebuttals. Also, I don’t think many peer reviewed journals would want ARJ in their reference lists. So take my advice Jason, don’t place too much store by the fact that you haven’t received rebuttals from mainstream science - you will probably have to go on hoping for that and continue comforting yourself with the thought that this is “hardly a rational response”. In any case it is doubtful if many of those mainstreamers would want to be seen mixing with a community who have launched this big idea upon the world - or rather should I say “not launched it” because it doesn’t look as though AiG are actually going to attempt to float it. I’m sure you’ve noticed Jason that the mainstreamers are not taking you very seriously. As for me, I’m simply a hobbyist who is fascinated by the exclusive sectarian religious backwaters such as we see at AiG, so I am sorry that I can’t offer you much reflected glory either.

But I digress. There is one important admission by Jason Lisle that says it all. He believes his model lacks…

….the scientific problems which plague other creation-based starlight models …

Didn’t we know that all along? Looks like AiG are going to have to swim 4 it after all.

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