My concern is the arrogance and naivete' that made them believe they could
stand up in front of a bunch of career biologists and say, "You guys are all
wrong and we are here to set you straight." If they are trashed their
arrogance will simply convince them that their audience is closed-minded; if
they are politely told they have some interesting ideas, their arrogance
will convince them that they have scored a coup, which will only encourage
them to be even more aggressive.
How much respect would you and your colleagues give a philosopher and a
mathematician who came to your university and said essentially the same
thing to you geologists?
Kevin L. O'Brien