Forrest Mims
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Forrest M. Mims III is the author of the Engineers Mini-Notebook–series of instructional books sold in Radio Shack and Tandy electronics stores. Mims is also a freelance magazine writer, serves as editor of The Citizen Scientist—the journal of the Society for Amateur Scientists, and teaches creationist science at the unaccredited Christian University of the Nations in Hawaii.
Mims also does scientific studies of sunlight, the atmosphere, mosquitoes and bacteria using instruments he designs and makes. A simple instrument he developed to measure the ozone layer earned him a Rolex Award for Enterprise in 1993. Mims cofounded MITS in 1968, although he left the company and sold his shares (for $100) in 1970, before the development of the Altair 8800 which, with the help of Bill Gates' and Paul Allen's implementation of the BASIC programming language, sparked the personal computer revolution.
Mims is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the National Science Teachers Association and several scientific societies. Mims is also a fellow at the Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture, a controversial neo-creationist organization known as the chief promoter of intelligent design. Mims is known for posing questions such as "Why are reconstructions of fossil hominids always black?", "Why has evolutionary biology been companied by some of the most blatant cases of scientific fraud ever perpetrated?" and statements such as "There is absolutely no fossil record of the supposed evolution of any form of wing".[1]
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[edit] Scientific American controversy
In May of 1988 Mims wrote to Scientific American proposing that he take over The Amateur Scientist column, which needed a new editor. Despite concern about his views, he was asked to write some sample columns, which he did in 1990.[2][3][4] Mims was not offered the position, due, Mims alleges, to his creationist views. See Talk Orgins Archive Creationist Claim CA320.1 for further details.
[edit] Pianka controversy
In 2006 Mims expressed concern with a March 3, 2006 lecture by scientist Eric Pianka.[5] In this lectures at the 109th Annual Meeting of the Texas Academy of Science held at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, Mims alleges that Pianka advocated genocide with a genetically enhanced Ebola virus with the goal of exterminating up to 90% of the human population.[5] Mims disapproved when the Texas Academy of Science awarded Pianka with a plaque naming him "2006 Distinguished Texas Scientist". He confronted Pianka with the statement "The undeniable issue at hand is that you have advocated genocide and mass extermination to your students and to the Texas Academy of Science. The logical conclusion I am exploring is the genocidal racism inherent in your goal."
Pianka has stated that Mims took his statements out of context and that Pianka was stating what would happen from biological principles alone if present human population trends continue, and that he was not in any way advocating that it happen.
[edit] References
- ^ What follows are selected excerpts from an open letter by Forrest M. Mims III to Daniel Ji. SkepticFiles.org. Retrieved on 2006-04-27.
- ^ FM Mims III, Sunspots and How to Observe Them Safely, Scientific American, 262, 6, 130-133, June 1990
- ^ FM Mims III, How to Monitor Ultraviolet Radiation from the Sun, Scientific American, 263, 2, 106-109, August 1990.
- ^ FM Mims III, A Remote-Control Camera that Catches the Wind and Captures the Landscape, Scientific American, 263, 2, 126-129, October 1990.
- ^ a b Meeting Doctor Doom. The Citizen Scientist: Feature 1. Retrieved on 2006-04-27.
[edit] External links
[edit] Pianka controversy-related
- TalkOrigins page about the Scientific American controversy
- Pianka, Mims, Misanthropy & Genocide: Commentary from Anthropik blog.
- PZ Myers comments on Pianka v. Mims on Pharyngula.
- Commentary on the Mims and Pianka controversy by James Redford.
