Comment and Opinion

The Scientific Proof of God

This site was Highly Commended in the 2006 Millenium Awards. The citation read:

George Hammond has discovered a Scientific Proof of God (SPOG). This is not a Scientific Theory of God (STOG) or even a Scientific Hypothesis of God (SHOG). It is a Proof!! What more needs to be said?

Proof that God exists ... (4/5/2002)
A man named George Hammond has published what he claims is a "Scientific Proof of God". He has done the usual mad scientist things like submit a paper for publication and have it rejected and write to Stephen Hawking and get no answer, thereby proving that the establishment is against him and Professor Hawking is probably not smart enough to understand it. If this was all Mr Hammond did he would be of no interest to The Millenium Project (although he has made an appearance in Quintessence of the Loon). Why he gets a mention here is because of the way he reacts to any comments or criticism. The average mad scientist is impervious to criticism as he (almost invariably a "he") knows he is right and does not bother with lesser minds. Mr Hammond, on the other hand, launches into a vituperative and scatological ad hominem attack on anyone who dares to suggest that there might be even the slightest flaw in his "proof" (he rates it higher than just a "theory"). As an example, when I commented on his remarkable observation that horses have four legs and cars have four wheels, his immediate response was to call me a moron. Mr Hammond reminds me of the "alternative medicine" supporters and anti-vaccination liars who have so little faith in what they say that they either run and hide or resort to abuse when challenged. If you have an afternoon to waste, you can see some of Mr Hammond's work in the Google newsgroup archive.

Quintessence Corner 6/11/2004)
While I was feeling nostalgic I decided to revisit an old Loon of the Month winner, George Hammond, who has discovered a Scientific Proof Of God (yes, he does say SPOG). Note that this is not SHOG, a Scientific Hypothesis Of God, or STOG, a Scientific Theory Of God, but an actual Proof. George tells us that he is one of the smartest people on the planet, and reinforces that by suggesting that people should not read his Proof until they have the prerequisite knowledge, a smattering of which can be obtained from reading some introductory pages on his web site. A couple of years ago George lit up Usenet science newsgroups like an enormous comet, debating all challengers with a combination of wit and erudition not seen since the departure of Earl Gordon Curley. Then, suddenly, he disappeared, taking his web site with him. Fears were expressed that he may have done some harm to himself, but optimists hoped that he had retired to something like the Oort Cloud or the Kuiper Belt to await the time for his return. There have now been early sightings and he has a new web site, which you can see here. Be warned, though, that if you want to debate George you will need your wits about you. Here are just two examples of how George answered questions from me using wit and repartee which would make Oscar Wilde and Grouch Marx gasp in awe:

You're not only a snot nosed asinine and boring writer, you've got an ugly smelling contempt and ignorance for the higher levels of scientific ability. It's scum like you who need to be cleaned out of Science and put back in uniform where you belong. It's time that the academic community stopped mollycoddling loudmouthed yuppie scumbags like you. You're a disgrace to your family name.

and

No asshole.... I'll TELL YOU what the f--- is going on. Retrograde loudmouth criminal vandals and morons like you have been harassing a serious, competent and dedicated scientist on the Internet for 3 years now... and WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN because of your reckless, criminal, indefensible behavior is that somebody is going to get accidentally hurt just like when you start playing Chicken with a freight train, you stupid basteds. Someone is going to get hurt, and it ISN'T going to be me because I'm the freight train. It's going to be one of you. In this case it may be Mike Varney Keep up your criminal, vandalistic, loudmouthed, wiseass harassment and abuse of a serious and dedicated scientist trying to present a serious scientific discovery and sooner or later one of you will accidentally get himself killed, you "fuckin moron".