Glatz criticisms.cwk (WP) - Calodema

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Calodema, 157: 1-11 (2011)T.J. Hawkeswood- Richard GlatzHawkeswood, T.J. (2003b). Comments on the paper by C.A.M. Reid entitled "New records of the genus Stenus Latreille(Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) in Australia". Calodema, 1: 5-6. (available as a free pdf file fromwww.calodema.com)Hawkeswood, T.J. (2004). An account of an unpleasant personal experience with the refereeing process associated withthe Australian Journal of Botany, a CSIRO/Australian Government funded research journal. Calodema, 2:29-32. (available as a free pdf file from www.calodema.com)Hawkeswood, T.J. (2005). Comments on the paper by Schmidt and Noyes (2003) on egg parasitoids of Agrianomespinicollis (Macleay)(Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in the Australian Journal of Entomology (2003).Calodema, 3: 1-2. (available as a free pdf file from www.calodema.com)Hawkeswood, T.J. (2006). Book Review: Bellamy, C.L. (2003). Zoological Catalogue of Australia 29.5. Coleoptera:Buprestoidea. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Victoria. Calodema, 8: 29-32. (available as a free pdf filefrom www.calodema.com)Hawkeswood, T.J. (2007a). Observations on the colour pattern and mimicry of Aproida balyi Pascoe, 1863(Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Hispinae) with new locality records and comments on the revisionary paper ofG.A. Samuelson in the Memoirs of the Queensland Museum (1989). Calodema Supplementary Paper No. 2:1-5. (available as a free pdf file from www.calodema.com)Hawkeswood, T.J. (2007b). Notes on the biology of Castiarina guttaticollis (Blackburn, 1890)(Coleoptera:Buprestidae), with a new distribution record and comments on this species in S. Barker (2006) -Castiarina: Australia's Richest Jewel Beetle Genus. Calodema Supplementary Paper No. 6: 1-2. (availableas a free pdf file from www.calodema.com)Hawkeswood, T.J. (2010). Book Review: Hangay, G. & Zborowski, P. (2010). A Guide to the Beetles of Australia.CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Victoria. 238 pages. Paperback. $45.00 AUD. Calodema, 121: 1-6.(available as a free pdf file from www.calodema.com)Hawkeswood, T.J. & Turner, J.R. (2008). Book Review: Barker, S. (2006). Castiarina - Australia's richest jewel beetlegenus. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. Calodema Supplementary Paper No. 67: 1-5.(available as a free pdf file from www.calodema.com)Appendix 1.As this paper was being prepared I received this letter (Email) from Dr Graeme Wells, who tried to place the Email onthe Medlar Comfits blogsite but as Anna Tambour had closed the blog, this entry was not able to be added. It ispublished here for posterity.I take note that Dr. Richard Glatz, a Senior research scientist in Entomology, amongst others, has taken thetrouble to criticise T.J. Hawkeswood and the Journal Calodema – as not being ‘scientific’. Well forgive me ifmy understanding of Science is slightly out of kilter with modern thinking but I have always been of theopinion that the derivation of Science comes from the Latin ‘Scientia’ – to Know!As a subject, Science can best be thought of ‘as error to corrected error’. It is a subject based upon probability –which is why many scientists employ Confidence Limits in their analyses. However for Dr. Glatz to state thatDr. TJ Hawkeswood is unscientific is a bit rich. Perhaps Dr. Glatz would do well to brush up on thephilosopher Carl Popper’s statement ‘That there is no scientific method’.I note that various persons have criticised Dr. Hawkeswood for not having a ‘standard’ PhD. Well CharlesDarwin was also bereft of this qualification yet he still got buried in Westminster Abbey.And another criticism of Dr. Hawkeswood is that he often publishes ‘observations’. So what?. I notice thatCharles Darwin continually published observations throughout his books, from geologic assemblages in placesas diverse as South America to Govett’s Leap in the Blue Mountains of NSW; to natives of Tierra del Fuegoand their indifference to the cold of sub Antarctic winters; to Galapagos tortoises and Iguanas etc etc.Had Charles Darwin closely followed Dr. Hawkeswood’s approach to the collecting and labelling of specimensthen perhaps he would have labelled his Galapagos finches from the various Galapagos Islands – but this wasnot the case. As we now know Darwin only spent 17 days ashore in the Galapagos during a five week stayduring August September 1835 on ‘HMC Beagle’. So anybody complaining about Dr. Hawkeswood’svoluminous observational comments in his published papers misses the point. A basic tenet of Science isrepeatability of results. That is all that Scientists ask. And many scientists have now ventured to the Galapagosto further Darwin’s observations. So if someone in the future finds Dr. Hawkeswood’s observational commentsto be affirmed then this is good news for Science. I thought that this subject Science was based upon evidence.Perhaps Dr. Glatz and others might do better to go back to Kindergarten. The subject of Science followsSerendipity – chance favours the prepared mind and as Richard Wells (no relation) comments it is obvious thatHawkeswood has a very prepared mind even though he often moves around field sites at a frenetic pace. I havePage 10
Calodema, 157: 1-11 (2011)T.J. Hawkeswood- Richard Glatzhad the privilege of witnessing Hawkeswood on a few field trips in Australia – and one thing that strikes me ishis in depth taxonomic knowledge of a range of organisms. From my observations Hawkeswood has a thirst forscientific knowledge and that is to be applauded. That Hawkeswood is eccentric goes without saying. ThatHawkeswood gets easily upset goes without saying. That some of Hawkeswood’s findings may some day bereinterpreted is of no consequence in Science. Such reinterpretation, such as the renaming of organisms goes onevery day – it is the very essence of Science and has been going on since Carolus Linneaus started hisbinomial classification system.For the record I nowadays unfortunately spend a great amount of time unravelling scientific data in forensicexamination of murder convictions. I also unfortunately spend time unravelling supposedly scientificenvironmental data sets of so called ‘scientists’. Data sets which are to my mind totally fraudulent. It is not thatI worry about mistakes – everybody makes mistakes, what I am relating to is scientific fraud. And I might addthat I have actually found one of Dr. Hawkeswood’s vegetation survey reports of considerable relevance to myunmasking of fraudulent environmental surveys by so called ‘scientists’. So, on the whole I applaud anybodylike Dr. Hawkeswood who publishes observational science and is prepared for open discussion.It is patently obvious to me that certain individuals cannot cope with the new Internet dominated scientific agethat now allows scientific information to be disseminated by other then ‘respected journals’. We all know thatmany respected Journals are littered with fraudulent papers and papers that might be referred to as ‘errors ofjudgement’. But then a lot of scientific type persons are dependent upon government funding – and it is‘publish or perish’.I have now taken the time to read comments in the Medlar Comfits blog – which is taking on a life of its own.So what, everybody is entitled to their opinion but if their comments are only for self interest – then heavenhelp Science.That certain persons are against Dr. Hawkeswood’s approach to Science reminds me of the response AlbertEinstein made when informed that Germany under Hitler had published a book entitled ‘One HundredPhysicists prove Einstein Wrong’. With Einstein’s comment being ‘My dear fellow, It takes only one’!Dr. Graeme WellsPS. And, for the record, my doctorate was from Sydney University in the 1980’s for a study of mangrovevegetation over 4,600 kms of the north Australian coastline and tidal waterways in case anybody is wondering.Dr. Hawkeswood, you can put this on Medlar Comfits if you wish.Date of publication: 5 April 2011Copyright: Trevor J. HawkeswoodEditor: Dr T.J. Hawkeswood (www.calodema.com)(Published as hard paper copy edition as well as electronic pdf)Page 11
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Glatz criticisms.cwk (WP) - Calodema

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