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'''Robert Lee Park''' (born January 16, 1931), also known as '''Bob Park''', is an [[emeritus]] [[professor]] of [[physics]] at the [[University of Maryland, College Park]] and a former Director of Public Information at the Washington office of the [[American Physical Society]].<ref name=APA-PPDirector>{{Cite news | url=http://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/200607/bob-park.cfm | title=What's New: The end of an era | publisher=American Physical Society | newspaper=APS News | volume=15 | issue=7 | date=July 2006 | accessdate=2009-01-10 | postscript=<!--None--> }}</ref> Park is most noted for his critical commentaries on [[alternative medicine]] and other [[pseudoscience]], as well as his opposition to manned [[space travel]] and space development.<ref name="wn061606">{{cite web|url=http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN06/wn061606.html#2 | first=Robert L. | last=Park | title=Doomsday: Stephen Hawking Explains Why We Must Colonize Space | publisher=What's New By Bob Park | date=2006-06-16 | accessdate=2009-01-11}}</ref>
'''Robert Lee Park''' (born January 16, 1931), also known as '''Bob Park''', is an [[emeritus]] [[professor]] of [[physics]] at the [[University of Maryland, College Park]] and a former Director of Public Information at the Washington office of the [[American Physical Society]].<ref name=APA-PPDirector>{{Cite news | url=http://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/200607/bob-park.cfm | title=What's New: The end of an era | publisher=American Physical Society | newspaper=APS News | volume=15 | issue=7 | date=July 2006 | accessdate=2009-01-10 | postscript=<!--None--> }}</ref> Park is most noted for his critical commentaries on [[alternative medicine]] and other [[pseudoscience]], as well as his opposition to manned space travel and space development.<ref name="wn061606">{{cite web|url=http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN06/wn061606.html#2 | first=Robert L. | last=Park | title=Doomsday: Stephen Hawking Explains Why We Must Colonize Space | publisher=What's New By Bob Park | date=2006-06-16 | accessdate=2009-01-11}}</ref>
⚫
One of his book's was described as being a poorly argued rehash of other work, and [[Stanton T. Friedman]] criticized another of Park's writings for innacuracies. He said Park uses amateur psychology in making his arguments.<ref name=Friedman>[http://books.google.com/books?id=Z-sItoDWfRgC&pg=PA334&dq=Robert+L.+Park&hl=en&ei=j19gTK7qDcP48AbvlZy0DQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAjgU#v=onepage&q=Robert%20L.%20Park&f=false] Flying Saucers and Science: A Scientist Investigates the Mysteries of Ufos: Interstellar Travel, Crashes, and Government Cover-ups]: Easyread Super Large 18pt Edition T. Friedman, MSc., Stanton 2009 512 pages</ref>


==Early life==
==Early life==
Line 58: Line 60:
Park has appeared on [[NBC News]]<ref>{{Cite book | first=Robert L. | last=Park | title=Voodoo Science: The Road from Foolishness to Fraud | location=New York | publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] | year=2000 | pages=18–19 | isbn=0-19-514710-3 | url=http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/p/park-voodoo.html | postscript=<!--None--> }} (Chapter 1 is online at this link)</ref> and was one of the featured participants in the [[Alternative Medicine (Bullshit! episode)|alternative medicine episode]] of [[Penn & Teller]]'s ''[[Penn & Teller: Bullshit!|Bullshit!]]''.
Park has appeared on [[NBC News]]<ref>{{Cite book | first=Robert L. | last=Park | title=Voodoo Science: The Road from Foolishness to Fraud | location=New York | publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] | year=2000 | pages=18–19 | isbn=0-19-514710-3 | url=http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/p/park-voodoo.html | postscript=<!--None--> }} (Chapter 1 is online at this link)</ref> and was one of the featured participants in the [[Alternative Medicine (Bullshit! episode)|alternative medicine episode]] of [[Penn & Teller]]'s ''[[Penn & Teller: Bullshit!|Bullshit!]]''.


Park appeared on [[Dateline NBC]] in April 2009 in a segment investigating fraudulent claims for a device that could supposedly dramatically increase the gasoline mileage of a car.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29899191/ | title=Fast money: Car device seller's scheme unravels }}</ref>
Park appeared on [[Dateline NBC]] in April 2009 in a segment investigating Dennis Lee's fraudulent claims for a device that could supposedly dramatically increase the gasoline mileage of a car.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29899191/ | title=Fast money: Car device seller's scheme unravels }}</ref>


Park appeared on ''[[The Colbert Report]]'' on July 20, 2009.
Park appeared on ''[[The Colbert Report]]'' on July 20, 2009.
Line 72: Line 74:
''[[Publishers Weekly]]'', in reviewing Park's 2009 book, ''Superstition: Belief in the Age of Science'', criticized the book for being a "thinly argued rehash of the debate between science and religion". The review took particularly issue with Chapter 4 of the book, "Giving Up the Ghost", accusing Park of interpreting the [[Bible]] to his own purposes, and opining that Park's mention of such diverse subjects as the [[Plan B contraceptive]], [[genes]], [[memes]], [[stem cells]] and [[ghosts]] in arguing against the existence of the human [[soul]] illustrates how "disjointed" his arguments are. The review asserted that such issues were better covered in works such as [[Daniel Dennett]]'s ''[[Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon]]''.<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/Superstition-Science-Robert-L-Park/dp/0691133557 ''Superstition: Belief in the Age of Science'' at Amazon.com]</ref> Park commented that the reviewer for ''Publishers Weekly'' was offended at his assertion that "science is the only way of knowing."<ref>[http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN09/wn081409.html Bob Park. "What's New" robertpark.org; August 14, 2009]</ref>
''[[Publishers Weekly]]'', in reviewing Park's 2009 book, ''Superstition: Belief in the Age of Science'', criticized the book for being a "thinly argued rehash of the debate between science and religion". The review took particularly issue with Chapter 4 of the book, "Giving Up the Ghost", accusing Park of interpreting the [[Bible]] to his own purposes, and opining that Park's mention of such diverse subjects as the [[Plan B contraceptive]], [[genes]], [[memes]], [[stem cells]] and [[ghosts]] in arguing against the existence of the human [[soul]] illustrates how "disjointed" his arguments are. The review asserted that such issues were better covered in works such as [[Daniel Dennett]]'s ''[[Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon]]''.<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/Superstition-Science-Robert-L-Park/dp/0691133557 ''Superstition: Belief in the Age of Science'' at Amazon.com]</ref> Park commented that the reviewer for ''Publishers Weekly'' was offended at his assertion that "science is the only way of knowing."<ref>[http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN09/wn081409.html Bob Park. "What's New" robertpark.org; August 14, 2009]</ref>


[[Stanton T. Friedman]] criticized Park for inconsistincies in his dates and accounts of Roswell, New Mexico's history as a site of interest to UFOlogists. in his written work and accuses him of engaging in amateur psychology in making his arguments.<ref name=Friedman/>
⚫
[[Stanton T. Friedman]] has criticized Park for innacuracies in his written work and accuses him of engaging in amateur psychology in making his arguments.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=Z-sItoDWfRgC&pg=PA334&dq=Robert+L.+Park&hl=en&ei=j19gTK7qDcP48AbvlZy0DQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAjgU#v=onepage&q=Robert%20L.%20Park&f=false] Flying Saucers and Science: A Scientist Investigates the Mysteries of Ufos: Interstellar Travel, Crashes, and Government Cover-ups]: Easyread Super Large 18pt Edition T. Friedman, MSc., Stanton 2009 512 pages</ref>


==Books==
==Books==

Revision as of 20:32, 9 August 2010

Robert L. Park
Born (1931-01-16) January 16, 1931 (age 93)
Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Alma materUniversity of Texas
Brown University
Known forCriticism of pseudoscience.
Scientific career
FieldsPhysics
InstitutionsSandia National Laboratories
University of Maryland, College Park

Robert Lee Park (born January 16, 1931), also known as Bob Park, is an emeritus professor of physics at the University of Maryland, College Park and a former Director of Public Information at the Washington office of the American Physical Society.[1] Park is most noted for his critical commentaries on alternative medicine and other pseudoscience, as well as his opposition to manned space travel and space development.[2]

One of his book's was described as being a poorly argued rehash of other work, and Stanton T. Friedman criticized another of Park's writings for innacuracies. He said Park uses amateur psychology in making his arguments.[3]

Early life

Park was born in 1931 in Kansas City, Missouri. His father was a lawyer and a farmer in southern Texas,[4] and Park had originally intended to attend law school himself.[5] He entered the Air Force in 1951 and served (among other places) at Walker Air Force Base in Roswell, New Mexico until 1956.[6] When the Air Force sent him to radar school, he discovered a passion for physics.[4]

Academic career

Park obtained his bachelors and masters degrees in Physics from the University of Texas in 1958 and 1960, and his PhD in physics from Brown University in 1964.[6] During his graduate work he was associated with physicist Harrison E. Farnsworth[5] with whom he co-authored several papers.[6]

Park spent almost a decade working as a member of the technical staff, and later Director of the Surface Physics Division, at Sandia National Laboratories, a U.S. Government weapons research laboratory.[6] He would draw on these experiences in later commentaries on government involvement in science and nuclear weapon development.

In 1974, Park was recruited by the University of Maryland for their physics department. He has been associated with UMD ever since. He was Director of UMD's Center of Materials Research from 1975 to 1978 and Chairman of the Department of Physics and Astronomy from 1978 to 1982.[6]

Over his long career as a physicist he has authored more than a hundred technical papers on the structure and properties of single-crystal surfaces and has supervised ten PhD Theses. He has chaired "more committees than I want to remember" and edited several peer-reviewed journals or proceedings.[6]

He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Vacuum Society.[6]

Career as a skeptic

From 1983 until 2006, he was Director of Public Information at the Washington office of the American Physical Society. In this role (which he established), he engaged politicians and the press on matters of science and public policy. The Washington office now employs six people and Park continues in an advisory capacity.[1] He has been seen in the media as an outspoken critic of human spaceflight,[7] efforts to colonize space,[2] and the prototype U.S. National Missile Defense (as well as its predecessor SDI).[8]

Park writes a weekly column, What's New, which appears each Friday on the University of Maryland's website. It features discussions on topics such as science news, space exploration, energy, the government in science, pseudoscience, alternative medicine, the creation-evolution controversy,[9] and nuclear weapons.[10] In his column he has characterized Wikipedia as a target for misuse by the "purveyors of pseudoscience".[11] However, he has also stated in What's New that he finds Wikipedia indispensable and that, instead of a Wikipedia critic, he is a curmudgeon, but thinks "Wikipedia is cool."[12]

He has also written op-eds and other articles on these topics for The New York Times,[7] Newsday, USA Today, The Washington Post,[6] Space.com,[13] Quackwatch[14] and Skeptical Inquirer magazine.[15][16][17][18]

In 2000 he criticized alternative medicine, telepathy and homeopathy in his popular book Voodoo Science. Science fiction author Charles Platt reviewed the book for the Washington Post, somewhat negatively.[19] This was followed by a number of letters to the editor criticizing Platt for alleged bias.[20] Other reviews of the book have been positive.[21]

In 2008 Park published his second book, Superstition: Belief in the Age of Science.

In 2009, Park gave a public lecture at Dartmouth College on Malthusian overpopulation and the environment.[22][23] He called for the distribution of the birth control pill, "arguably the most important technological development in history", to reduce fertility rates in developing nations.

Since 2004[24] Park has been a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.[25]

Personal

Park is married to Gerry and lives in Adelphi, Maryland. They have two sons, Robert Jr. and Daniel, and three grandchildren.[4]

On September 3, 2000, Park was hospitalized after being struck by a falling oak tree.[26] He later wrote about the experience in his book, Superstition: Belief in the Age of Science.

Appearances

Park spoke at The Amaz!ng Meeting 2 in 2004,[27] and at the National Capital Area Skeptics in 1995, 2000, 2002 and 2008.[28]

Park has appeared on NBC News[29] and was one of the featured participants in the alternative medicine episode of Penn & Teller's Bullshit!.

Park appeared on Dateline NBC in April 2009 in a segment investigating Dennis Lee's fraudulent claims for a device that could supposedly dramatically increase the gasoline mileage of a car.[30]

Park appeared on The Colbert Report on July 20, 2009.

Park was the guest on the Skeptics Guide podcast on Episode 11 on August 31, 2005

Awards and honors

Criticism

Publishers Weekly, in reviewing Park's 2009 book, Superstition: Belief in the Age of Science, criticized the book for being a "thinly argued rehash of the debate between science and religion". The review took particularly issue with Chapter 4 of the book, "Giving Up the Ghost", accusing Park of interpreting the Bible to his own purposes, and opining that Park's mention of such diverse subjects as the Plan B contraceptive, genes, memes, stem cells and ghosts in arguing against the existence of the human soul illustrates how "disjointed" his arguments are. The review asserted that such issues were better covered in works such as Daniel Dennett's Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon.[32] Park commented that the reviewer for Publishers Weekly was offended at his assertion that "science is the only way of knowing."[33]

Stanton T. Friedman criticized Park for inconsistincies in his dates and accounts of Roswell, New Mexico's history as a site of interest to UFOlogists. in his written work and accuses him of engaging in amateur psychology in making his arguments.[3]

Books

  • Park, Robert L. (2000). Voodoo Science: The Road from Foolishness to Fraud. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 230. ISBN 0-19-514710-3.
  • Park, Robert L. (2008). Superstition: Belief in the Age of Science. Princeton: Princeton University Press. p. 240. ISBN 0-69-113355-7.

References

  1. ^ a b "What's New: The end of an era". APS News. Vol. 15, no. 7. American Physical Society. July 2006. Retrieved 2009-01-10.
  2. ^ a b Park, Robert L. (2006-06-16). "Doomsday: Stephen Hawking Explains Why We Must Colonize Space". What's New By Bob Park. Retrieved 2009-01-11.
  3. ^ a b [1] Flying Saucers and Science: A Scientist Investigates the Mysteries of Ufos: Interstellar Travel, Crashes, and Government Cover-ups]: Easyread Super Large 18pt Edition T. Friedman, MSc., Stanton 2009 512 pages
  4. ^ a b c Cohen, Patricia (April 29, 2000). "A Claim-Buster by Calling; From U.F.O. Dreams To Federal Schemes, He Debunks Them All". New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  5. ^ a b McCray, Patrick (March 4 & 7, 2001). "Oral history interview with Robert Park, 2001 March 4 and 7". OCLC 78201722. Retrieved 2009-01-10. {{cite web}}: |first2= missing |last2= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |DUPLICATE DATA: last= ignored (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Curriculum Vitae: Robert L. Park" (PDF). University of Maryland. 2003. Retrieved 2009-01-10.
  7. ^ a b Park, Robert L. (January 16, 2006). "Opinion: The Dark Side of the Moon". The New York Times. The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2009-01-10.
  8. ^ Park, Robert L. (1987-11-27). "What's New Friday, 27 November 1987 Washington, DC". What's New By Bob Park. Retrieved 2009-01-11.
  9. ^ Park, Robert L. (1989-08-18). "Pathological Science, Pseudo-Science and "Creation" Science". What's New By Bob Park. Retrieved 2009-01-11.
  10. ^ Park, Robert L. (2002-05-17). "Nuclear Posture Review: Senate Hearing Takes Up The Debate". What's New By Bob Park. Retrieved 2009-01-11.
  11. ^ Park, Robert L. (2007-03-23). "Wikipedia: Has a beautiful idea fallen victim to human nature?". What's New By Bob Park. Retrieved 2007-04-02.
  12. ^ Park, Robert L. (2009-08-28). "Wikipedia: It's Still a Beautiful Idea, but Maybe Not Perfect". What's New By Bob Park. Retrieved 2009-08-29.
  13. ^ Park, Robert L. (2000-02-11). "Astronauts Are Going Nowhere Fast". Space.com. Retrieved 2009-01-11.
  14. ^ "Seven Warning Signs of Bogus Science". Quackwatch.org. 2003-03-05. Retrieved 2009-01-11.
  15. ^ Park, Robert L. (November/December 1996). "The New Medicine Goes to Congress". Skeptical Inquirer. Vol. 20, no. 6. Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. pp. 12–13. ISSN 0194-6730. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ Park, Robert L. (May/June 1997). "The Podkletnov Gravity Shield:Business Week Levitates Again". Skeptical Inquirer. Vol. 21, no. 3. Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. p. 8. ISSN 0194-6730. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ Park, Robert L. (September/October 1997). "Alternative Medicine and the Laws of Physics". Skeptical Inquirer. Vol. 21, no. 5. Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. pp. 24–28. ISSN 0194-6730. Retrieved 2009-01-10. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ Park, Robert L. (November/December 2000). "Three More Little Adventures on the Voodoo Science Front". Skeptical Inquirer. Vol. 24, no. 6. Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. pp. 5–7. ISSN 0194-6730. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ Platt, Charles (June 25, 2000). "Testing the Current". Washington Post. The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2009-01-10.
  20. ^ "LETTERS". Washington Post. July 23, 2000. p. X11. Retrieved 2009-01-10. (Reproduced at the NucNews website; scroll about one third down, or search for the term "voodoo")
  21. ^ Regis, Ed (June 4, 2000). "There's One Born Every Minute". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2009-01-10.
  22. ^ "Abstract: The Last Endangered Species: Population Dynamics on a Finite Planet". Dartmouth College. 2009-02-19. Retrieved 2009-03-08.
  23. ^ "Presentation Notes: The Last Endangered Species: Population Dynamics on a Finite Planet" (PDF). Dartmouth College. 2009-02-19. Retrieved 2009-03-08.
  24. ^ "APS's Bob Park elected a CSICOP fellow". Skeptical Inquirer. Vol. 28, no. 6. November/December 2004. p. ?. ISSN 0194-6730. Retrieved 2009-01-10. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  25. ^ "Committee for Skeptical Inquiry : An International Organization". Skeptical Inquirer. Vol. 33, no. 1. Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. January/February 2009. p. 2. ISSN 0194-6730. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  26. ^ a b "NCAS Philip J. Klass Award - March 2008 - For outstanding contributions in promoting critical thinking and scientific understanding" (PDF). National Capital Area Skeptics. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
  27. ^ "Schedule of Events - Amaz!ing Meeting 2004". James Randi Educational Foundation. Retrieved 2009-01-10.
  28. ^ "NCAS Previous Events". National Capital Area Skeptics. Retrieved 2009-01-10.
  29. ^ Park, Robert L. (2000). Voodoo Science: The Road from Foolishness to Fraud. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 18–19. ISBN 0-19-514710-3. (Chapter 1 is online at this link)
  30. ^ "Fast money: Car device seller's scheme unravels".
  31. ^ "1998 Joseph A. Burton Forum Award Recipient". American Physical Society. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
  32. ^ Superstition: Belief in the Age of Science at Amazon.com
  33. ^ Bob Park. "What's New" robertpark.org; August 14, 2009

External links

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