Bigfoot: Does It Exist? Or Not?

[dmaker]

I don't buy the whole scorn that bigfoot affiliation brings with it. When asked in the recent interview done by KBHunter, I believe, Kathy Strain responded that she has suffered no ridicule or negativity in her job due to her bigfoot affiliation. 

 

You keep mentioning this, but cannot seem to actually provide any solid examples.

[Cotter]

I get harrassed all the time at work about my BF interest.  But it's a double edged sword as I get some cool insider info as well.  Case in point - a fella claims to have a family of 3 living on his property about 20 miles from my house.  I'm arranging a meeting with him....hopefully he'll be receptive.

[norseman]

I don't buy the whole scorn that bigfoot affiliation brings with it. When asked in the recent interview done by KBHunter, I believe, Kathy Strain responded that she has suffered no ridicule or negativity in her job due to her bigfoot affiliation. 

 

You keep mentioning this, but cannot seem to actually provide any solid examples.

This kinda surprises me you would say this. There is plenty of evidence just in the fact there is a void here. The Smithsoninian isnt looking for this thing......just amatuer groups and a handful of mocked scientists. Although Im very glad Kathy does not count her self among them. But proposing to revoke a scientists tenure on the grounds he takes Bigfoot seriously is pretty serious stuff....

http://www.bigfootencounters.com/articles/isu2.htm

[dmaker]

The fact that The Smithsonian isn't looking for this thing has nothing to do with ridicule. There simply is no good reason to believe this thing exists. That is why they are not looking. 

 

Since that article you linked was published (2006) , Meldrum became a fully tenured professor. He has also made quite a bit of money off conventions and appearances I would wager that come directly out of his bigfoot interest.  I would say he is doing fine by bigfoot.

[norseman]

What does Meldrum making money off of Bigfoot have to do with being ridiculed by other scientists? Scientists write books and host TV shows all the time and make money. Neil Degrasse Tyson? Michio Kaku?

 

The ridicule comes because of the topic of interest.

[Guest DWA]

The fact that The Smithsonian isn't looking for this thing has nothing to do with ridicule. There simply is no good reason to believe this thing exists. That is why they are not looking. 

 

As has been pointed out times beyond counting here:  that is simply a factually incorrect statement.  All the evidence points to existence.  The identified hoaxes and mistakes can be clearly set aside by anyone objectively considering the evidence.  No one disagreeing has a science-based reason.

 

Period.

 

I don't buy the whole scorn that bigfoot affiliation brings with it. When asked in the recent interview done by KBHunter, I believe, Kathy Strain responded that she has suffered no ridicule or negativity in her job due to her bigfoot affiliation. 

 

We've all heard of Daniel Loxton.  I got him off ^^^that with only three examples.  (Which I think he was asking for to shut Ben Radford up.)  Sasquatch and ridicule go together like wet and water, heat and summer, snow and winter.  It is a fatally inconvenient problem for any skeptic, so, as usual, denial is the escape avenue.   That a few isolated pockets of academe accommodate people who have shown chops *ELSEWHERE* in their field, means precisely zero.

 

(Meldrum has survived strident calls for his ouster.  Krantz characterized his "support" as:  they don't fire me.  That's not support.)

[dmaker]

What does Meldrum making money off of Bigfoot have to do with being ridiculed by other scientists? Scientists write books and host TV shows all the time and make money. Neil Degrasse Tyson? Michio Kaku?

 

The ridicule comes because of the topic of interest.

His bigfoot belief seems to have done nothing to stop his full tenure at ISU.

DWA, maybe you could provide some examples of careers that have been hindered due to bigfoot interest? 

[Guest DWA]

I said.

 

PERIOD.

 

Unless you have, you know, evidence that you're right.  See, I do.  Cool part, huh.

[dmaker]

So, I guess that is a no? You have no evidence of careers that have been negatively impacted by bigfoot belief?

[Bodhi]

What does Meldrum making money off of Bigfoot have to do with being ridiculed by other scientists? Scientists write books and host TV shows all the time and make money. Neil Degrasse Tyson? Michio Kaku?

 

The ridicule comes because of the topic of interest.

For what it's worth Kaku and Sagan both caught a lot a flack from colleagues for "over simplifying" science.

[Guest 67Mopar]

I just want to jump in here, and let everyone know that Hostess Suzie Q's are back! I repeat... Suzie Q's are back! 

Edited October 1, 2015 by 67Mopar

[Guest DWA]

And that, also, is inarguable. 

[Patterson-Gimlin]

 

 

Do you know where the caves are?

 

Well, of course the caves are in the ground!! 

 

;-)

 

Thinking of doing some boots on the ground in the area?

 

I was once chased out of a cave by some creature growling and snarling at me.  I'm thinking more possum or racoon tho.

 

Yes. It would not be my first  attempt.  Good  observation.

Science is never about denial.  It is about:  what is causing this?

 

If you have bison milling around in substantial numbers around Gainesville, and by far the most frequent question anyone asks the photographer who took all those pictures is "where are all these bison?"...and then there is something else that most people who see it will, count on it, tell no one, and most of those that do will report in anonymously as their key to continuing a normal life with a job, GF, etc...well, I am not totally prepared to discount a report because "we'd know if it was there."

 

It really gets annoying when scientists treat a topic utterly different from the way they treat everything else, just because they personally have not seen one.  Why would they think that is the way it works?

I get what you are saying.  I have been among the bison and  wild horses.   I have  never  saw any evidence of Sasquatch.

[JDL]

Regarding the downside of Bigfoot, it was once used against me in an attempt to take over a contract I had with a Fortune 10 company.  Some of you know that after leaving the military, I repurposed my experience in nuclear, biological and chemical defense into anti-terrorism consulting in the private sector.  I started doing this in '98 right after the African Embassy bombings and had three lean years.  Then 2001.  Within three years I was consulting full time for the world's largest insurance company.  The contract expanded massively and I needed more engineers with military experience, so I reached out to a friend from the military who was running a successful government contracting company.

 

Anyway, one afternoon, I get asked about my bigfoot experience, and he's grinning ear to ear.  I explain it and move on.  But that's not the end of it.  The next day is the steering committee meeting for the project.  I walk in with one C-level staff officer present and three who are in position to take over C-level staff positions, and it's brought up again.  I then relate my Class A encounter from Washoe County Nevada as clinically as possible.  And then move on.

 

In the end, it didn't hurt me, but that was only because I was forthcoming about it and they had already developed a high level of confidence in me.

 

But, It's a good thing to consider that if someone thinks they can use it against you to their advantage, they may well do so.

[norseman]

What does Meldrum making money off of Bigfoot have to do with being ridiculed by other scientists? Scientists write books and host TV shows all the time and make money. Neil Degrasse Tyson? Michio Kaku?

The ridicule comes because of the topic of interest.

His bigfoot belief seems to have done nothing to stop his full tenure at ISU.

Bud, you need to read the article. They tried to have it revoked...