This statement was released by Penn State here. Oddly, while mentioning the NAS report, there is no mention of the Congressional commissioned Wegman report, which you can see here full report (PDF). Or for a quick read the fact-sheet (PDF).
University Reviewing Recent Reports on Climate Information
Professor Michael Mann is a highly regarded member of the Penn State faculty conducting research on climate change. Professor Mann’s research papers have been published in well respected peer-reviewed scientific journals.
In November 2005, Representative Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) requested that the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) convene a panel of independent experts to investigate Professor Mann’s seminal 1999 reconstruction of the global surface temperature over the past 1,000 years. The resulting 2006 report of the NAS panel (http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11676) concluded that Mann’s results were sound and has been subsequently supported by an array of evidence that includes additional large-scale surface temperature reconstructions.
In recent days a lengthy file of emails has been made public. Some of the questions raised through those emails may have been addressed already by the NAS investigation but others may not have been considered. The University is looking into this matter further, following a well defined policy used in such cases. No public discussion of the matter will occur while the University is reviewing the concerns that have been raised.
h/t Joe D’Aleo
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Yeah yeah yeah, we know all about ‘investigations’. Get that bucket of white stuff out.
“The University is looking into this matter further”
Translation: University administrators are thrilled at the opportunity to consolidate their power.
They meant to say, “A PEER-REVIEWED, POST-NORMAL” investigation. Geesh. Get the vernacular straight!
I haven’t read the NAS report for a while, but my recollection is that it was more negative than that.
Why is it that every time an academic like Prof. Michael Mann gets in trouble, they are described as “highly regarded”? Penn State will stand by whatever Mann wants, protecting him until the end, because Penn State has a financial dog in this hunt.
The whole cabal of “scientists” should be investigated by the FBI or by some agency that DOESN’T have a financial stake in clearing Mann of all misconduct.
Translation: The university will not admit that Mann’s data is flawed or that AGW is being intentionally overplayed. They will, however, find some evidence of misconduct to slap Mann on the wrist with so they seem like they’re doing a good job to their very angry donors and alums.
That’s nonsense. Unless you think that “sound for the last 400 years up through 1960, which we have temperature records for anyway” constitutes “sound.”
Mark
I think they’re gonna try to whitewash.
What do the rest of you think?
Does anyone really believe anything will come of this? Doug Keenan didn’t get anywhere with his formal fraud complaint. It too was “investigated” by the University administrators. Outcome? Nothing.
This too will be brushed off I’m afraid.
[snip]
Hey Anthony,
Have you already posted the full NAS report in this article? I just finished reading it and I am shocked! SHOCKED I SAY! WOW! I hope to see some of the scientist on WUWT weigh in on these conclusions.
I doubt they’ll find that pressuring journals, or being a victim of confirmation bias etc is any kind of actionable offence. If only it was their mail server that was hacked, i’m sure there’d be much more interesting material, which really would be ationable.
Another whitewash. What’s the betting he comes out squeaky clean?
Christopher Booker is on the story of Climategate.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/christopherbooker/6679082/Climate-change-this-is-the-worst-scientific-scandal-of-our-generation.html?state=target#postacomment&postingId=6679201
“Why is it that every time an academic like Prof. Michael Mann gets in trouble, they are described as “highly regarded”?”
The same way the local perp who loses a gunfight with the police or his cronies is described by his familiars as “he was just getting his life turned around and back on track…”
This may be O.t.,a bit but this is from Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower’s farewell address:
Today, the solitary inventor, tinkering in his shop, has been overshadowed by task forces of scientists in laboratories and testing fields. In the same fashion, the free university, historically the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery, has experienced a revolution in the conduct of research. Partly because of the huge costs involved, a government contract becomes virtually a substitute for intellectual curiosity. For every old blackboard there are now hundreds of new electronic computers. The prospect of domination of the nation’s scholars by Federal employment, project allocations, and the power of money is ever present — and is gravely to be regarded.
Yet, in holding scientific research and discovery in respect, as we should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite.
This came after the “Military /Industrial complex” part.-Could’ve been yesterday…
“highly respected” “well regarded”. By whom?
“No public discussion of the matter will occur while the University is reviewing the concerns that have been raised.”
They mean that Penn State will have this blog closed? And all other blogs too? Newspapers will be shut down?. Also any TV outlets and twitter, etc …. Perhaps they could clarify their position on whether private discussions between up to two people are permitted and provide a list of registered venues where this is allowed.
Whereas university researchers (theoretically) do not get more salary when they bring in grants, there are increased personal perks. The university community thrives and grows overall…lots of admin and support staff rely on grants.
With the tens of millions involved in climate research at Penn State and other institutions, the money will dictate the outcome of this and as others have noted this will be whitewashed. A sad time in academia.
Ironically Wiki defines academia as .. the collective terms for the community of students and scholars engaged in higher education and research. Yet another reason to not believe Wiki. ☺
10 years too late.
Maybe this has been mentioned before, or not, but I really think this scandalous behavior has done a lot for the field. Simply put, it has made more scientists (honest scientists, not political hacks) work all the harder to find out what is really going on with our climate, and is producing some very good science. And now that it has been brought to light, this should release the stranglehold to some degree, and allow the science to advance even further. How refreshing that would be.
IMO, this is them waiting to see what happens next. If it blows over, they’ll exonerate him, but if Penn State winds up with a black eye, then he’ll be left out on the clothes line to flap in the breeze.
They won’t do a damn thing…
In court, that would be considered prejudicial. But this isn’t a court, in the sense we understand it to be.
“The University is looking into this matter further, following a well defined policy used in such cases. ”
…The “well defined policy” being not to find any wrongdoing, and carry on as before.
The answer is in the same statement as the question.
Talk about a waste of time.