Seems a bit late, given that Barton demanded responses by the 11th, but the AAAS has at last issued a statement and letter objecting to the Barton letters:
Chris Mooney thinks that "Barton's little gambit has now officially backfired" but that doesn't seem so clear to me. Apart from the handwringing, there are as yet no signs that anyone actually is going to stop Barton from harassing scientists whose research he finds threatening, and if that has a "chilling effect", well, maybe that is his goal....
we are concerned that establishing a practice of aggressive Congressional inquiry into the complete professional histories of scientists whose findings may bear on policy in ways that some find unpalatable could have a chilling effect on the willingness of scientists to conduct work on policyrelevant scientific questions.
Chris Mooney thinks that "Barton's little gambit has now officially backfired" but that doesn't seem so clear to me. Apart from the handwringing, there are as yet no signs that anyone actually is going to stop Barton from harassing scientists whose research he finds threatening, and if that has a "chilling effect", well, maybe that is his goal....
I look forward to finding out how the Barton 5 replied. Stoat promises revelations on Sunday!
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