Real science is based on data, knowledge, and research. There was such an excellent example of that on PBS last night, the scientologists would do well to read and compare with Hubbard's purported 'research.' It seems a scientist in England attended a lecture a few years back. The lecturer pointed out that trees all over the world went through about a decade of stunted growth, as revealed by the rings in the trunk. He began doing research of ancient trees found in buildings, archaeological sites, and found that, around 535 (sixth century) there was a catastrophic climate change. Trees from Finland, Russia, the New World, all show evidence of the climate change. The few written records available in Europe, China, and Russia say that the sun showed for only four hours a day, the sky was dark, crops died, and people were forced to return to hunting and fishing to survive.

The evidence proved by tree ring analysis that there was such a climactic disaster.

His next question was, what could cause such a climactic change? Core samples taken in Antarctica and Greenland were hauled out of cold storage and analysed. Had it been a meteor or comet, there would be evidence of irridium and other rare elements present in the ice. A volcano would result in high levels of sulphuric acids, which is what they found at both poles.

The evidence proved by ice core analysis that there was a horrendous volcanic eruption.

The next question was, which volcano?

A written record from China related that there was a terrible sound from the south, followed by rains of blood, high winds, and devastation. This led the researchers to Krakatau, west of Java. An Indonesian record also spoke of this catastrophe. The Krakatau volcano was the most powerful volcanic eruption in recent times, but there are even larger ones in the geologic record. They went to the area to obtain carbon samples for dating. Since repeated eruptions inhibit plant life, they didn't find enough samples from the correct era, but did find some in layers of ash above and below the target date.

That's where the program ended, drat it! The next segment will be aired next Sunday, I hope. The program is called Secrets of the Dead:

Catastrophe!

This is how the scientific method works. In the first show, they discovered several things, there was a catastrophic climate change, it was caused by a volcano. The scientists didn't jump to the conclusion that Krakatau volcano was to blame, there is no solid evidence where the show left off.

Research does not involve swilling rum, shooting coke, and then sitting down at a typewriter for several days writing down whatever pops into one's head. There is no evidence that Hubbard ever did any real research, outside of that laughable picture of him auditing a tomato.

Scientologists would do well to understand this.

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