People send me stuff.
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)
A. Scott says:
April 28, 2013 at 4:10 pm
This was very likely in the works for some time, and appears to be a sabbatical – that Lew is still listed on staff at UWA – and will likely return there? when the grant runs out?
He is apparently currently at Bristol on sabbatical but my understanding is that these grants are to supplement the salaries of newly hired senior faculty rather than sabbaticals. The institution is expected to pay the full salary and Wolfson pays a bonus.
Richard Tol (@RichardTol) says:
April 28, 2013 at 12:27 pm
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.
—————————————————–
Thanks Richard, that makes sense. IMHO
It’s most likely cheaper to honor the contract than try to remove the grant and face unending lawyers with their hands out.
It might not be a bad idea to get him some extra media face time, though.
He’s like Mann in that he’s bound to say something that’s not so bright.
Besides there’s something written about providing enough rope and not interrupting him while he makes a well documented mistake.
I fear Bristol will regret their choice once old Lew’s methods are front and center.
If his skeptic’s survey was any indication of the professional skills and high standard of ethics he brings to Bristol they will not get their money’s worth.
cn
Congratulations to Dr. Lewandowsky. Analyzing the human propensity for seeing conspiracies of every conceivable kind around every conceivable subject, would seem to be a contribution to our understanding of human psychology. It might be possible to develop medications or other therapies, to not only help individuals to overcome their cognitive deficits; but also create a more rational basis for the debate of public policy. And, as in all scientific endeavor, should Dr. Lewandowsky’s ideas be proven to have shortcomings; we will be able pursue other hypotheses knowing that Lewandowsy’s had been properly investigated. JP
Lil Fella from OZ says
Your “commiserations”? What might those be? JP
Chad Wozniak says:
April 28, 2013 at 3:09 pm
“He’s even uglier to look at than Michael Mann!”
Good point Chad. I’ve never understood why we listen to scientists ideas without first weeding out the less attractive ones. JP
“Dr. Stephan Lewandowsky – screen cap from his YouTube video”
I think I can guess why you felt obliged to mention that the pic was from his own video.
LOL
Oh Dear! Another warmist idiot I must be very, very careful what I post about him. No insulting statements about him. Ugg.
Out of this and other experiences in the climate “science” field, Is this really only about Global Marxism?
Those that support this, are they also Marxists?
There is a little known clause in the original contract by H.M. Government drafted by the Colonial Office in 1760 which allowed the then authorities in New South Wales to repatriate convicts or settlers who became of unsound mind in the Colony. At the time in the UK it was assumed that anyone who went to NSW was either bad or mad or more likely both. I believe that original Colonial Office edict has just been invoked. Cheers from sunny Sydney.
There has been a funding cut announced in the Australian tertiary education sector. Also conservative government coming in a few months. It’s a good time for him to make an escape.
“They don’t like the market place, basically because the marketplace doesn’t like them. [vii] The marketplace doesn’t reward them as much as they think it should. They prefer a system where people like them form the government and bureaucracy, where they take a large slice of everyone else’s income by threat of force, and then they pay themselves what they think they are worth out of those taxes. This stands in stark contrast to most people, who are generally paid only what the market will allow.”
The educated class of the Western World, mostly people the free marked has no need of, turn to Marxism and become the regulating class in stead?
So according this “professor” I am now also a free marked believer if I am critical of AGW?
I have already been labeled “big oil funded” and “tobacco denier” etc etc..
When do I have to carry a star so all can see?
Where is the scientist in the video? Hmmm isn’t this some sort of hate speech to get somebody to act not according to the law towards critics?
Take him down in court and then as a professor?
[Did it cost anything to become a “free marked believer”, or will you only have to pay if he gets more power (and gas and electricity and taxes)? 8<) Mod]
How can he be a “scientist” and “professor” when he publicly is so 100% against free/fair speech in science and elsewhere?
Jon:
At April 28, 2013 at 11:37 pm you ask
Your question is thrown out to everybody but very few can answer such a conundrum.
I respectfully suggest that you address your question to atarsinc because – as his posts in this and other threads demonstrate – he provides words which defend irrational, illogical and immoral ideas.
Richard
He will be in good company:
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2010/09/16/climate-craziness-of-the-week-attention-citizens-you-are-thinking-the-wrong-thoughts/
Conference – Facing Climate Change, Climate Change Denial – University of the West of England, 7 March 2009
“Man-made climate change poses an unprecedented threat to the global ecosystem and yet the response, from national policy makers right through to individual consumers, remains tragically inadequate. The Centre for Psycho-Social Studies at the University of the West of England is organising a major interdisciplinary event Facing Climate Change on this topic at UWE on 7 March 2009.
Need to keep a check on these “prestigious awards” these guys like working “behind the scenes” to ensure that they get to add those words to their CV – now wasn’t there a prominent warmist or two who just happened to use influence and money from their backers to in effect smooth the way for their “prestigious awards” – reminds also of the “you scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours , in proposing each other, revealed in the released CRU emails.
Maybe we are seeing the making of a world dishonour roll in the annals of the history of climaticastrolog.? Guess it helps massage their own feeling of power and padding and magnify the meglomania?
http://thezog.wordpress.com/who-is-behind-the-climate-change-hoax/
OMG dont him see this.
Jim South London:
re your post at April 29, 2013 at 2:32 am .
Yes, the ultra-right does oppose AGW because that opposition fits their agenda.
Indeed, if you review the files of WUWT you can find more examples of it in their posts which e.g. claim H1tler was “left wing”!
But
those nutters are not relevant to the real debate about AGW except that – as you say – those nutters enable people such as Lewandowsky to assert ‘guilt by association’ upon all climate realists.
The denizens of WUWT demonstrate that AGW is rejected for a variety of scientific and philosophical reasons by people with wide ranges of political, religious, philosophical and scientific opinions.
Richard
And the UK gets one more prat to its ranks.
Well, good ridance from an Aussie perspective. The guy is a waste of time and space !!
ps.. any University prepared to take him… deserves him.
At Bristol university, I wonder if he’ll be down the corridor from Tamsin Edwards?
As another Bristol graduate, I’m saddened to hear this. Bristol is generally regarded as one of our better Universities, but they’ve just cut their chances of getting me to respond again to one of their frequent appeals for money!
Bristol University certainly has a high reputation and isn’t tainted, AFAIK, with activist academics touting the idea that dissidents should be considered to be suffering from a psychiatric disorder requiring intervention and sectioning or being put on trial for crimes against humanity. Perhaps he thought he was applying to the University of the West of England, some five miles up the road and five thousand miles to the left LOL!
If I was student at Bristol university and had my work marked down for poor data usage , I would be tempted to point I was still working at a higher level of acedmic standard than Bristol’s leatest lectuary who makes his data up and then lies about it. And that I therefore should not be marked down at all I was more than meeting the standard for acedmic pratice laid down by the university .
Do you think he’ll survive next winter let alone a BRRRRITISH summer? LOL