Scientist Fight!!!
Tuesday, August 22nd, 2006 @ 12:20pm. Category: General, Linkage.Some planetary astronomer “coined” the word pluton to describe objects that are like Pluto. This pissed off some geologists, for whom pluton describes a fundamental rock formation.
A geologist even wrote a nasty letter, accusing the IAU of “hijacking our perfectly good [definition] and causing endless confusion.”
The head of the Pluto committee said of the debacle that since spellcheck didn’t catch it, the term can’t be that important.
I can’t wait to see if this dissolves into fisticuffs.
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G | 22-Aug-06 at 7:24 pm | Permalink
NERD ALERT!!
Jason Clark | 24-Aug-06 at 3:57 pm | Permalink
I doubt we’ll get it come to blows (though I’ll bet Marquess of Queensbury rules would be invoked, by name, if it did), but I expect many a strongly worded letter to be written.
Strongly worded, I tell you.
cello | 26-Aug-06 at 7:52 pm | Permalink
SCIENCE FIGHT.