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Amid complaints about the veracity and ethics of his psychological research trying to equate climate skeptics to conspiracy theory nuts and “moon landing deniers”, it seems that Professor Lewandowsky is no longer at the University of Western Australia and has moved to the UK and is practicing his craft at Bristol University, managing to convince the Royal Society to give him a grant:
Professors Stephan Lewandowsky, Chair in Cognitive Psychology in the School of Experimental Psychology, and Fred Manby, Professor of Theoretical Chemistry in the Centre for Computational Chemistry, have both been successful in securing this prestigious award from the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science.
I know of at least two, possibly more, professional complaints that are in progress against Lewdandowsy (and his sidekick, Skeptical Science’ s John Cook) at the University of Western Australia for his data fabrication and his questionable science composed of outlandish made-up claims designed to smear climate skeptics worldwide.
His most recent skeptic smear paper has been taken down, pending investigation.
No announcement or reason for the move was made that I (or others) can find so far. UWA still has his page in place here and there’s a new page at Bristol University here. Neither page says anything about this move or status, and at his blog Shaping Tomorrow’s World there’s no mention of this change in his bio page. The last update was by John Cook on March 22nd.
It will be interesting to see how Lewandowsky’s furtive exit will affect UWA’s handling of the various complaints.
h/t to A. Scott and to Jo Nova who also has some thoughts here on how Bristol University and the Royal Society have now come to “own” Lewandowsky’s baggage.
UPDATE: Richard Tol provides some insight in comments. I wasn’t aware of a “mobility award” and there is nothing in the announcement he cites about it or its conditions.
Lewandowsky won a mobility award: http://www.bris.ac.uk/news/2013/9330.html The grant is conditional on him moving to Bristol.
There is a long lag between initial idea, grant application, and award. This has nothing to do with recent events.
So while his move may cool the complaints raised at UWA, it seems that he’s simply “following the money”.
Here’s Lewandowsky’s video:
Related articles
- Lewandowsky Doubles Down (climateaudit.org)
- Lew’s Gong: like … wow. (geoffchambers.wordpress.com)
- Stephan Lewandowsky and John Cook – making things up (wattsupwiththat.com)
- Lew’s Guru and the Science of a Beautiful You (geoffchambers.wordpress.com)
- Why people believe in conspiracy theories (salon.com)
- Denier Déjà Vu: Conspiracy Theories In The Blogosphere In Response To Research On Conspiracy Theories (thinkprogress.org)
- Lewandowsky Timeline (geoffchambers.wordpress.com)
Oh crap – don’t push him too hard – he might come back to Canada and become a commentator for the CBC.
So sad to hear about this. His life story was great in that movie where John Goodman played him. Oops, sorry, it was Jeff Bridges.
When they run him out of the UK, where will he pop up next?
We (the UK) don’t want him. Our newspapers are full of stories about immigrants and refugees trying to claim welfare benefits and Royal Society grants! We can’t even get rid of terrorists without ‘violating their human rights’.
oh bugger! More trash allowed into the UK?
It is difficult to see how far the Royal Society will fall. Does it have any scientific credibility left??
Well, it is pretty certain his Hypothesis will be: Climate skepticism is based fully in misinformation, and that he is going to track how that misinformation is processed by the media and ourselves and conclude that some outlandish mechanism, say “Devil’s Denial Hypothesis” is the basis of people accepting misinformation and believing in it.
I suspect every word he writes based for this ‘prestigious’ grant will be an attack on Climate skeptics.
Why the hell did he have to come here? Let me guess, The Royal Society (kindred spirist) and our government, anxious to throw money at anyone who can convince the general public that AGW is happening and we need to close our dirty power stations and build more windmills. The fact that the EU have told us to do these things or pay huge fines is in fact the main reason, but they don’t want the public to know that!
We don’t run terrorists out of the UK, ‘cos retribution in their home country might abuse their ‘uman rites, innit? (British joke) Lewandowsky’s safe enough.
I imagine that the Royal Society will get some feedback regarding this move. Strange that this fellow should be imported into GB at this particular time, just as he was starting to stink abominably. Does the stench have something to do with his attraction for those movers and shakers who got him into his new home with his lucrative grant?
I wish decent science people would stop questionning global warming “scepticism” and rather call it “good science” and call the warmist’s some derogatory name.
It seems good science people have little inclination, nor talent for political game. Pity.
Phil Jourdain
Sorry to disappoint, but the UK is unlikely to run him out of town. They gave him his first break at the Guardian back in July 2012 (following a little noticed plug at Huffington Post, written by the “writer in residence” at “Psychological Science” no less, the review that finally published his article six months later). It was when the Guardian article was rerun at the government sponsored Psyops blog talkingclimate.org and publicised at BishopHill that it was ripped apart by a small band of B-Hillbillies. Meanwhile the WUWT crowd and the Aussies at JoNova’s and AustralianClimateMadness were all doing their bit.
It’s been a fascinating story with important implications about how the blogosphere can or can’t influence events in the outside world, and it isn’t over. There’s a seriousdiscussion going on elsewhere about the best way to procede – discrete protests through official channels, or calling it as you see it, which is Anthony’s tactic here. It’s a subject which has wider implications than the trivial question of Lewandowsky’s academic future.
Blimey, as soon as these unprincipled louts get far enough out, they get a prestigious award! It’s all Gleick to me.
Oh the irony:
The Royal Society’s motto ‘Nullius in verba’ roughly translates as ‘take nobody’s word for it’.
“Their strategy is to undermine the credibility of climatescientists.”
That is quite a conspiracy from professor Lewandowsky’s mouth.
BTW: SkepticalScience and Tamino’s blog are also ‘on the internet’ outside academic peerreview.
It’s the Aussies’ revenge! We sent them our criminals for a few centuries, now it’s revenge! 😉
I’m 60 years old. Completely “up to date” with all modern technology. I have two B.S. Degrees in Engineering, and on MS. Experience in fossil fuels, manufacturing, nuclear, power plants, medical devices. I’m currently “not working” …I like to say, “hopefully between contract jobs”.
The most discouraging thing in life, for me right now, is to see clowns as Lewandosky simply jump from stipend to stipend, and have his “fellow travelers” care for his every need.
Where does one meet up with Lucifer, and where does one sign one’s soul away, is my primary question???
Bristol is my alma mater. The shame of it!
To whom should I write, for maximum impact?
Who needs scientific ‘credibility’, when you can provide scientific ‘celebrity’ ?
Don’t be so cerebral…Instead….CELEBRATE !
Future screen caps need to show Dr Lew in full costume with his eye patch and parrot on the shoulder….strike the Jolly Roger….as we celebrate….the newest RS pirate !
When I read this I assumed that there was confusion between the “University of Bristol” and “The University of the West of England”? The former is long-established university with an excellent research record. UWE is a recently re-designated local college. So far as I know, Bristol University is not active in promoting AGW-as real[1]. However, UWE was active, and may still be. I assumed that the “University of Bristol” was merely hosting a Royal Society function.
However, I appear to be wrong.
Lewandowsky has considerable skills in fundamental physics, including quantum mechanics and the relationship to chemical bonds. His appointment, if I understand it correctly, is indeed to Bristol University, but as the Cognitive Psychology chair[2]. This is completely baffling, given the controversy over falsification of research results and his activism in promoting the dead CAGW-as-real agenda. It has perplexed other members of the university and appears to be a purely cynical political manouevre. Popcorn time[3]!
[1] Climate Change denial conference hosted at UWE http://info.uwe.ac.uk/news/uwenews/news.aspx?id=1438
[2] Professor Stephan Lewandowsky http://www.bristol.ac.uk/expsych/people/stephan-lewandowsky/overview.html
[3] Brendan O’Neill Pathologising dissent? Now that’s Orwellian! http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/article/6320/
I have just watched the video the red tie and the sneering tone when talking about the free market and sceptics says it all really. I would still like one of these people to tell me how a gas in the atmosphere is going to play havoc with the world’s climate when its concentration rises from 0.035% to 0.039%, because common sense tells me it won’t! I would also like to ask why should I pay more car tax, more flight duty, higher energy and petrol bills and watch my country turn into an economic backwater to prevent 0.0001% of this CO2 entering the atmosphere!
There really *is* a conspiracy. It’s currently centered exactly where the world’s oldest real thermometer record shows no trend change in 350 years, no plot required since a verbal description is so easy: a noisy straight line that hugs its linear trend and recently plunges through it.
Wow talk about a conspiracy theory ….that evil free market……those Rothschilds ………gasp….
people can amass large fortunes………The horror….the horror of it.
He claims to be part Psychologist!
Talk about an extreme case of projection.!!!!!!!
That video proves He is a marxist ……….
I haven’t heard a speech like that since Stalin died.
Lewandowsky won a mobility award: http://www.bris.ac.uk/news/2013/9330.html The grant is conditional on him moving to Bristol.
There is a long lag between initial idea, grant application, and award. This has nothing to do with recent events.
ConfusedPhoton says:
April 28, 2013 at 11:43 am
short answer – NO !