I am addressing this response to one issue raised regarding remarks about possible mega-tsunami deposits that I brought up during the podcast. It is my impression after investing a fair amount of time researching this phenomenon that it warrants serious consideration, especially in light of what we have witnessed during the past decade, two tsunami induced mega-disasters in Japan and the Indian Ocean. Several comments were particularly dismissive, so I am setting down this small exposition, without malice, to demonstrate that the remarks made on The Joe Rogan Experience were preceded by a substantial amount of background research and thought. While the following remarks pertain to this one issue specifically, they are also relevant to the general attitude evinced in many of the other comments critical of something I said that are obviously being made by individuals whose preconceived opinions were incompatible with the information I presented and their objections were nothing more than a knee jerk emotional response rather than a reasoned critique with some actual thought behind it.
Here is a comment posted by someone who took issue with my remarks about the possible mega-tsunami deposits in Madagascar. I choose this posting to respond to for two reasons. First of all it allows me the opportunity to elaborate in more detail regarding this important question of the reality of mega-tsunamis, not only to our past but to our future, and the posting also displays one of the most common of logical fallacies in critical thinking, the "appeal to authority." Disregarding the obvious attitude of cynicism, this is what Mary Kay Dunn had to say:
Mary K. Dunn Comment
First of all let's dispose of the appeal to authority canard. I have no doubt that Joanne Bourgeois, whose work is the subject of the linked article, is a "real scientist." In fact, I have a great deal of admiration for her work and have read a number of her papers, including her 2009 paper in Geology taking issue with the mega-tsunami hypothesis of Dallas Abbot and others. The statement is made by the Ms. Dunn that "real scientists" have discredited the mega-tsunami hypothesis. My first thought is this: How easy it has become these days to simply link to a website presenting one side of a scientific debate and then presumptuously assume that the matter is settled. Then follows an egregiously over generalized statement about Joe Rogan "fans." Certainly it is true that some of the world's scientists are bought off by one of two political sides, a blatant case in point being many of the scientists employed by the IPCC. However, it should be emphasized that there are many scientists who retain their independence and credibility, and it is probably true that some Joe Rogan fans believe in conspiracies of one sort or another but it has become apparent to me that many of them are willing to look without prejudice at the facts, and I would say this goes for Joe himself. Let it also be stated that as far as conspiracies go, there are definitely real ones. History itself is basically a history of conspiracies. Anyone who thinks that those who covet power do not conspire to retain and expand that power, or that they would not subordinate science to that end, is suffering from excessive naivety, however, all this is a total non sequitur anyway in reference to the subject at hand.
So, as to the question of "real scientists" here are just a few of the professionals who first proposed and have continued to endorse the idea of mega-tsunami generated chevrons:
Dieter Kelletat, Ph.D: Retired as head of the Dept. of Physical Geography, University of Cologne, expert in Quaternary Geomorphology, author of the Atlas of coastal geomorphology and zonality and numerous scientific publications and collaborations.
Dallas Abbott, Ph.D: Research scientist at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Ph.D. in Marine Geology, author or co-author of over 120 peer-reviewed scientific papers. Author of Chevron Dunes in Madagascar: The Most Spectacular Tsunami Deposits on Earth published in the proceedings of the Aerospace Conference, 2000 IEEE
Dee Breger: Manager of Lamont Doherty Scanning Electron Microscope Facility, participant in more than 30 land based and oceanographic expeditions. Expert in analysis of microscale evidence of cosmic impact.
Viacheslav Gusiakov Ph.D, : Head of the Tsunami Laboratory, Institute of Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Geophysics, Novosibirsk, Russia, responsible for developing the Historical Tsunami Database for the World Ocean
Anja Scheffers Ph.D,: Southern Cross University, Associate Professor of Geoscience, expert in coastal evolution, sea-level change and marine natural hazards. See Curriculum Vitae here: tsun.sscc.ru/hiwg/SCHEFFERS.htm. Author or co-author of at least 42 peer reviewed scientific papers. Is considered by her colleagues to be a chevron expert.
There are more but I think you get the point.
