242 Nature Vol. 283 17 January 1980 CORRESPONDENCE

Sagan barely refers to my seminal position careful listing and checking of references. At Dismissal of Professor with regard to public knowledge of this present, most journals have their own Scheer was justified material except in passing, anyone truly distinctive style and even basic references have interested in this subject is perfectly aware that to be rearranged with considerable waste of SIR, - As a member of the federal state they are referring to myself when discussing time and effort as every new paper is drafted. government of Bremen I would like to make this matter. Some idea of the variability of reference the following remarks to correct the letter It would be inappropriate for me to discuss citation can be seen if the bibliographies of the from Uwe Labl and W. Thiemann of Bremen Sagan's own errors here. But I would like to following internationally recognised marine University (27 September, page 252). reply to statements made by Rowan-Robinson, science journals (first published in sequence The Senate of the Freie Hansestadt Bremen, who says that "Sagan has performed a useful between 1953 and 1979) are examined: Deep­ the federal state government, has not pursued service in collecting together examples of Sea Res., Mar. Bioi., J. expo mar. Bioi. Ecol., the dismissal of Professor Jens Scheer from public gullibility and demonstrating how a Estuar. Cst Mar. Sci., Oceanol. Acta., J. the Bremen civil service because of his political mixture of deliberate fraud and uncritical Plankton Res. One conclusion that can be and scientific activities involved with his thinking has allowed millions to be drawn from such an examination is that the criticism of the nuclear politics of the Federal bamboozled. . .". He says this immediately variability of reference citation is increasing Republic of Germany. The Freie Hansestadt after discussing my material. with time. Bremen, even the Senate itself, is in fact I strongly object to the inference that I have Some progress has been made towards inter­ taking a decidedly critical position regarding been guilty of fraud in bamboozling a gullible national standardisation with the introduction the nuclear politics of the Federal Republic of public, and as for "uncritical thinking", the of the following international standards: ISO Germany. many serious and thoughtful reviews of my 4-1972 (E), Documentation - International Nor has the Bremen government pursued book in this very journal as well as others of Code for the Abbreviation of Titles of the dismissal of Professor Scheer primarily distinction testify to the fact that although the Periodicals and ISO 833-1974, Documentation because he belongs to a non-prohibited implications of my work have aroused - International List of Periodical Title Word political party (the KPD; the Communist controversy, it is not widely thought, nor do I Abbreviations. (See also BS 4148 Part 1: 1970 Party of Germany). The real reason which has obviously think myself, that "uncritical and BS 4148 Part 2: 1975.) The establishment tipped the scales towards disciplinary action thinking" is a fault of which I have been of this international standard for over five years against Professor Scheer is rather as follows. obviously guilty, especially as my conclusions does not seem to be acknowledged by many Professor Scheer advocates in public and in were all explicitly hypothetical. editors (including Nature's) who still Bremen University, while practicing his public The anthropologists who have spent the 48 recommend the fourth edition of the World List duties and abusing his official position, the years from 1931 living with the Dogon tribe oj Scientific Publications for journal removal of our free democratic constitutional are agreed that the knowledge of the abbreviations, a list which was last published state of the Federal Republic by violence, and system which they possessed could not have in 1963 to 1965! In the absence of a properly the erection of the dictatorship of the come from Europeans, who in any case had updated world list and prior to the publication proletariat in its place; this in reality would be themselves only discovered the superdense of the new international standard,some the dictatorship of a small elite. In making this nature of Sirius B in about 1926. Knowledge journals (such as Journal oj the Marine aim (of violence) the declared object of his of Sirius B amongst the Dogon goes back Biological Association oj the United public service activities he abuses the official hundreds of years, as shown by physical Kingdom) have reverted to printing the full position given to him. evidence, some of which was even held up in titles of journals. By the way Professor Scheer has advocated front of television cameras by Dr Germaine There is so far no international agreement the use of violence not merely verbally, he has Dieterlen, who insisted that it was 400 years on bibliographic references, rather the already been sentenced for taking part in old, and said that the European contact theory opposite, as the American National Standard violence against persons dissenting from his (espoused by Sagan) was "absurd". ANSI 239.29-1977 and British Standards BS political opinion. But I do not wish to open this controversy 1629:1976 and BS 5604:1978 differ Therefore one cannot reasonably talk about again here. It is in the context of saying that considerably from each other in their the Bremen State trying to bring scientists Sagan has shown that the Dogon information recommendations and from each of the under political control by this disciplinary "could all have been learnt from contacts with journals cited above. Major differences action. Professor Scheer can make use of his Europeans" (which is untrue) that Rowan­ between the two national standards are the use constitutional rights in every allowable way. Robinson does me less than justice by saying of capitals, italics and bold face in the British But he cannot legally claim the violent this is better than it having "been learnt from Standard in contrast to a single type face and destruction of this state, and at the same time little green men in UFOs". I have never at any more complicated punctuation rules in the accept payment by the state. All civil rights time suggested this; I went out of my way in American standard. The 'Harvard' system remain guaranteed to Professor Scheer as a my book to say that I do not believe that with the year of publication following the citizen and a scientist of this republic. UFOs are extraterrestrial craft of any kind, or author and a form of the 'Numeric' system as The Bremen state government is anxious to connected with my subject, and Rowan­ used in Nature are the two formats learn from German history. The first German Robinson's remarks are therefore a slur recommended in the new British Standards BS Republic of Weimar allowed civil servants to against my intelligence and quality of work 5605:1978 which was specifically prepared for challenge the state which they were sworn to which I most strongly resent. editors and authors of articles in journals and serve, and in the end even to bring about its Rowan-Robinson also betrays an books. The 'Harvard' format comes closest to ruin. The Federal Republic of Germany and indefensible bias against the serious possibility that now used by most journals. The simpler especially the German Social Democrats to that our planet has at some time in its history punctuation of this standard is also preferable, which I belong have learned their lesson from been visited by intelligent extraterrestrials. although the adoption of a simple typeface as Weimar. What is so remarkable about this per se? Are used in the American system may be more Finally, the statement "He was not allowed we so incapable of speculating about these compatible with computerisation of a complete defence" is spun out of thin air. matters that we deny them solely because such references. He and his lawyer had every opportunity to a visitation seems to us extraordinary? The A standard for abbreviated references, as plead their position, and they did use it. electric light bulb would have seemed extra­ used for instance in Nature, is only given in Yours faithfully, ordinary to Plato and Aristotle, but does that ANSI 239.29-1977 restricting information to rule out the possibility of its eventual the journal title, volume number, pages and FRANKE Freie Hansestadt invention? This is the kind of inverted logic year of publication. This is not sufficient for Bremen, FRO demonstrated by those whose minds are too scientific journals as one needs to assess small for large notions. immediately the 'pedigree' of a particular Yours faithfully piece of work by reference to the original ROBERTK.G. TEMPLE authors and if possible an abbreviated title. Publication of an international standard for SIR, - Readers of Nature may well be aware Sutton Mallet, Bridgwater, Somerset, UK bibliographic references in scientific journals from the review of my book The Sirius is overdue. Major publishing houses, editors Mystery in the issue of 17 June, 1976 (pages of journals and scientists should be consulted 617-8), that "the problem of the remarkable in this standardisation process as well as knowledge of the of Mali", Standardisation of librarians and national standardisation referred to by Michael Rowan-Robinson in his authorities. review of 's Broca's Brain reference citation Yours faithfully, (8 November, 1979, pages 176-7), was first P.C.REID brought to public attention by myself. SIR, - A significant part of a scientist's time Although in his review Rowan-Robinson does is spent in drafting manuscripts for Institute Jor Marine Environmental Research, not mention me by name, and in his book publication. Part of this task involves the Plymouth, UK.

© 1980 Nature Publishing Group