My very simple proposed explanation (not a "hypothesis", which I
understand to be "a testable prediction from a theory") is as follows:
(1) The man has a deep personal need to feel powerful and capable of
healing the wounds of the afflicted, but does not actually have the
capacity to do so.
(2) In an effort to meet this need, he develops an elaborate "theory";
because his need for a sense of control over the confusing and
frightening complelexity of the universe is very strong, there is
nothing he has ever read (be it electrical engineering, nuclear
physics, neuroanatomy, or whatever) which he can leave out of it.
(3) Perhaps simply because of the intensity of this need and panic at
the thought of failing in this enterprise, but perhaps also because of
some difficulties in interpersonal relationships, he is not able to
seek or accept the kind of mentoring and criticism of his initial
attempts that would enable him to present them to the scientific
community in a way which would gain his ideas a respectful hearing.
(3) After a lifetime of this sort of lonely and frustrating work,
without benefit of either helpful criticism or support, he has a
massive but flawed construction which he must defend as if it were his
life (it is), and can only fling in one mass at an uncaring world, it
being too late for him to summarize or rewrite in a way that would let
him communicate its component ideas to those he hopes will use them to
save the world.
The poor fellow is between a rock and a hard place: if we tell him
"lighten up, you're not responsible for Kosovo (Somalia, Rwanda, etc.,
etc.), and your ideas have absolutely no potential for alleviating
these heart-breaking problems", the relief he should feel is cruelly
offset by the injury to his self-esteem.
If you didn't "lose" your job, maybe you've just misplaced it. Having
experienced a long (involuntary) period of unemployment at a critical
point in my own life, I know the impact is not just financial and hope
you get the RELATIVE peace a steady and decent job can bring, sooon.
F. LeFever
In <19990707221009.04440.00009424 at ng-cj1.aol.com> qxcjk at aol.com (ken
collins) writes:
>>yeah, "lost" my job.
>>Dr. Frank, please state an hypothesis on how it could be that a man
who sees a
>problem that =needs= solving, who solves it, ans who asks scientists
and
>science organizations allow him to present this work, has this simple
request
>turned down, without ever having been offered any honorable reason,
for more
>than two decades.
>>corollary Q: because the solution in question has not been
communicated,
>millions of people have lost their lives, millions more have suffered
>needlessly, billions of dollars of the national treasure have been
squandered.
>>why has all of this happened?
>>why, in this day and age?
>>corollary Q: why does this circumstance continue?
>>if you wonder, i'm hoping for honest and honorable answers, and hope
others,
>here in bionet.neuroscience will join in.
>>i'll take up any honest and honorable discussion honestly and
honorably.
>>cheers, ken collins
