Difference between revisions of "Nature (journal)"

Revision as of 15:57, October 14, 2012

Nature is one of the two most influential journals in the scientific world. According to E.J. Larson it was founded in 1869 by members of so called X-Club as the mouthpiece of scientific naturalism with goal to unabashedly promote Darwinism and influence the editorial polices in that respect.^[1] The journal's original mission statement to this day remains unchanged. The first Nature article was written by T. H. Huxley, who did more than anyone to promote Darwin's theories, on the supposed role of nature in the development of human beings. Astrophysicist Norman Lockyer was the first editor of Nature and remained in this position for 50 years.^[2] Later among editors was also well known scientist Sir John Maddox who according to John C. Lennox found the idea of beginning [of our world] repugnant.^[3]

In 1878 the journal published the article on the ' Discovery of Vulcan ', a non-existent hypothetical planet that was believed by naturalist scientits to must exist due to the shift in the perihelion of planet Mercury.^[4] Peer-reviewing Darwinists approved the report on this discovery by scientist who "in [his] eagerness to discover this hypothetical planet ...had decided to ignore nearly all of the phenomena attending the eclipse". This way he was not only able to corroborate the discovery of the intra-Mercurial planet by Prof. Watson beyond any doubt and see it some four or five minutes later, using θ as a comparison star, but also to substantiate the position given by him.^[5] Nevertheless no such planet is nowadays recognized and the case is being commonly used as an deterrent example of scientists inappropriately trying to solve problems in their theories (aiming to explain unknown natural phenomena) by establishing so called fudge factors instead of acknowledging ignorance. Contemporary dark matter and dark energy hypothesis are frequently compared with 'discovery' of Vulcan.^[6]

References

1. ↑ E.J. Larson (2006). Evolution: The Remarkable History of a Scientific Theory. New York: Modern Library, 108-109. ISBN 0-8129-6849-2. “The end result was much the same in Britain. There, Darwin, Huxley, and their allies effectively collaborated to take over the scientific establishment, with the goal of enthroning naturalism as the ideology of science and science as the mainspring of modern society. At first they consciously sought to minimize open scientific debate over Darwinism while systematically advancing interests of biologists who utilized an evolutionary approach. Working through an intimate group of like-minded intellectuals known as the X Club, Huxley and his friends managed to assume leadership roles in many of Britain's leading scientific societies, place supporters in prominent university and museum positions, and influence the editorial polices of scientific journals. In 1869, they founded the journal Nature as the mouthpiece of scientific naturalism, and unabashedly promoted Darwinism in its pages. ..."So successful was this takeover of the British scientific community," historian Peter Bowler says about the X-Club putsch, "that by the 1880s its remaining opponents were claiming that Darwinism had become a blindly accepted dogma carefully shielded from any serious challenge."” 
2. ↑ History:Timelines:The first 100 years (1869-1969). Nature Publishing Group. “Astrophysicist Norman Lockyer and Thomas Henry Huxley encourage Alexander Macmillan to publish "a general scientific journal". Consequently, the House of Macmillan launches Nature, a weekly illustrated journal of science. The journal's original mission statement to this day remains unchanged. Norman Lockyer becomes the first editor of Nature, and remains in this position for 50 years. ...After Darwin's "Origin of Species" is published in 1859, Huxley does more than anyone to promote its theories. As well as being instrumental in the conception of Nature, Huxley writes the first Nature article, on the role of nature in the development of human beings.”
3. ↑ John C. Lennox (2009). God's undertaker. Has science buried God?. Oxford, England: Lion Hudson, 68. ISBN 978-0-7459-5371-7. “Another well known scientist who found the idea of a beginning repugnant is Sir John Maddox, a former editor of Nature. He pronounced the idea of a beginning 'thoroughly unacceptable', because it implied an 'ultimate origin of the world', and gave creationist 'ample justification' for their beliefs.” 
4. ↑ Lewis Swift (19 September 1878). Discovery of Vulcan. journal Nature. DOI:10.1038/018539a0. “By three careful estimates the two stars pointed exactly to the sun's centre. When it is considered that a deviation of not over 15", in two objects so close, will cause them to point considerably to one side of the centre of the sun-three degrees away-it maybe assumed that its declination was quite correctly estimated.”
5. ↑ Swift, Lewis. Discovery of Vulcan. Retrieved on 2012-10-14. “the position given by Prof. Watson of the intra-Mercurial planet discovered on that day agrees so closely with that star, it may have been the object discovered, I have thought it advisable to give the facts concerning it, in order to correct such an impression if it still exists. That he had a view of the planet as stated there is no doubt, for I myself saw it some four or five minutes later, using θ as a comparison star, and am able not only to corroborate the discovery, but to substantiate the position given by him.”
6. ↑ Hartnett, John (2007). Starlight, Time and the New Physics. Creation Ministries International, 34-36. ISBN 978-0-949-906687. “The form of 'dark' matter envisaged by theorists of the day varied; some preferred an inner asteroid belt within Mercury's orbit and some an additional planet -the planet Vulcan, which was said to orbit very close to the Sun...but in such a manner that it was always conveniently hidden from view by Earth observers, on the other side of the Sun. (They didn't seem to mind that an object near Mercury would have a shorter orbital period than Earth.)”