Has Dr. Meldrum's Reputation Or Career Been Damaged By His Involvement With Bigfoot?

[Guest LAL]

"The following are two letters The Bengal received regarding the AP article. Dr. Jefferey Meldrum's tenure

I just read an AP article by Jesse Harlan Alderman concerning certain Idaho State University professors hoping that Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum's tenure may be revoked to spare them the embarrassment of his "pseudo-academic pursuits". I'm glad to see that many of the faculty are not being misled by that half-baked scientific method. I mean, if science were to be approached with an open mind, all sorts of fantastical thoughts might be entertained. For instance, the Pioneer spacecrafts traveling at something other than a constant velocity, gamma-ray bursts being distributed evenly across the sky, and the Earth having some geometric structure other than a flat surface! I'm sure the staff was not fooled by any of these red herrings.

- Barry Dernovsek

Weirton, West Virginia

Professor Bigfoot

The notion of a big hairy ape prancing about the Northwestern wilderness strikes me as preposterous. But what would strike me as even more preposterous would be the removal of a tenured professor from her/his position in academia just because of their research interests. Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum, professor of anatomy at ISU, has the complete right to perform his farfetched search for Bigfoot. If his tenure were to be revoked because of his research interests, I would have serious misgivings about ISU's otherwise excellent academic credentials.

-Mahendra Prasad

New York City, New York"

http://www.isubengal.com/news/professor-s-bigfoot-research-criticized-1.1617054#.TpA5PNSTOAo

[Guest]

Please notice that no-one in that article questioned his published papers as sub-par. It was "a shame" that he spent his time researching something that others didn't believe existed. I suppose we should shut down CERN for announcing something infinitely more ground breaking to science than a big ape running around the PNW and Canada.

CERN has nothing definitive and their results still have to reviewed and duplicated by other institutions before anything is proven with regard to their announcement; it will take years to verify, if true yes, the results will have staggering implications. But so would the revelation of a relic hominid surviving in North America, especially if it is proven to be more human than ape or a hybrid...it will change everything we thing we knew about our own species. Light speed barrier broken Einstein wrong amazing...in a hundred years we may actually have the technology to use that knowledge somehow.

Relic hominid homo sapiens........you would never look at yourself in the mirror the same.

As for Meldrum, yes, yes and yes.......but IF this ever breaks open he will be immortalized as maverick along with Krantz and a few others that had the balls to spit out the silver spoon of academia and do what scientist are supposed to do anyway..ask the questions.

Edited October 8, 2011 by Tautriadelta

[Guest sierra4]

...it isn't so much the other scientists are not open minded enough, it's more about Jeff designing a midtarsal

break in a foot he has never x-rayed or dissected or even seen up close.

His whole premise is based on imprints on the ground, plaster of paris castings and creative imagination and NOT a foot off a

tangible holotype (specimen). He even went further by naming his pie in the sky. His peers in academia require a holotype along

with DNA. Anything short of that will be scoffed at... Jeff plays to a rigid and tough crowd.

[bipedalist]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/04/AR2006110400272.html

It's from 2006 and he had the support of the Dean then.

[Guest]

I agree Jeff certainly does play to a tough and rigid crowd but he seems to handle it with calm determination . I personally would like nothing more than the DNA study give us very strong evidence. I hope the Russian expedition is a huge success, you know as long as the money for greasing palms hold out, it would serve the science community a good kick in the pants for the Russian to get solid evidence and leave the ever skeptical American scientific community sucking hind teat. You'd think you were asking them to cut their heads off just to seriously consider the possiblity of the existance of Sasquatch. Dr. Bindernagel has it spot on in his book.

[See-Te-Cah NC]

While it is true that Dr. Meldrum's invovement with Bigfoot research is outside of the normalcy of academia, it is nonetheless a valid area of research. When you have all of the reports by creditible eye witnesses, possible physical evidence (hair, fecal, footprints, etc.) and, admittedly limited, film evidence, one has to admit that this area is ripe for research. I feel that this is the case if for no other reason than to investigate the possibility of it's existence and come to the conclusion that it doesn't exist. I think that Meldrum's research is neccessary.

One of the main problems that I have with science/scientists in general is that they tend to scoff at anything that isn't a consensus belief among the establishment. That's Meldrum's problem here, not the research he's done and continues to do, but the fact that he isn't falling in line with the consensus beliefs of his peers. They feel that he's a threat to their credibility... a whacko. However, the true threat to them is the fact that he's actually stepping outside of the proverbial box, which is what a scientist should be willing to do as long as they apply the scientific methods of discovery in the process. Oftentimes instead of listening to differing opinion and possibilities, peers are more likely to scoff at the ideas and findings of those that differ from the consensus views. I offer the following as an example:

In the 1800s Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis noticed that women giving birth at home had a much lower incidence of childbed fever than those giving birth in the doctor's maternity ward. His investigation discovered that washing hands with an antiseptic solution before a delivery reduced childbed fever fatalities by 90%.^[2] Despite the publication of this information, doctors still would not wash. The idea conflicted with both the existing medical concepts and more importantly, with the image that doctors had of themselves. That intransigence consigned large numbers of mothers to painful, lingering deaths. ^[3]The scorn and ridicule of doctors was so extreme that Semmelweis moved from Vienna and was eventually committed to a mental asylum where he died.^[4]

^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerperal_fever}

^{I myself hope that Meldrum's research will eventually lead to something like the following link provides, although not taking as long, of course.}

http://bigfootforums.com/index.php?/topic/9245-scientist-makes-new-discovery-is-mocked-by-peers-and-expelled-from-research-team-then-wins-nobel-prize/

Only time will tell if Dr. Meldrum's research bears the fruit of discovery or the dry, dusty sack of nothingness. One thing is certain - Nobody will find out anything about the possibility of Bigfoot's existence unless people like Meldrum are willing to brush aside the consensus views of their peers. At least it appears that he has a supporter in Jane Goodall, and that's not bad at all. It's hard to argue with her credentials as far as primates are concerned.

Good luck, Dr, Meldrum.

[Guest]

It is a shame if true.

One can disagree with him about the subject, it's all fine and good, but it sounds like other professors won't even drink coffee with him.

I guess most people cannot leave their high school cliches behind them.

It's dog eat dog in world of Academia.

Publish or perish, but stay within certain boundaries...

Meldrum is walking to his own drum beat, I sincerely hope that his career will not be extinguished before the BF results are made known.

He is definitely a man's man, he stands on his beliefs and principles.

I look forward to the day when Meldrum can say I told you so..

[Guest]

...it isn't so much the other scientists are not open minded enough, it's more about Jeff designing a midtarsal

break in a foot he has never x-rayed or dissected or even seen up close.

His whole premise is based on imprints on the ground, plaster of paris castings and creative imagination and NOT a foot off a

tangible holotype (specimen). He even went further by naming his pie in the sky. His peers in academia require a holotype along

with DNA. Anything short of that will be scoffed at... Jeff plays to a rigid and tough crowd.

I thought that was what science is all about, taking evidence and building a firm foundation leading to a logical conclusion.

I sometimes really dislike Academia.

Everyone is trying to be more knowledgeable and better equipped to be tenured over others.

Dog eat dog mentality reigns... and I'm sincerely sorry that Meldrum has been put through all of this.

I respect and like him.

[Guest Cervelo]

The good Dr.Is not a victim of anything. He knew exactly what was on the line with this subject. He's a big boy he can handle it. I think the guys a great representative of how this subject should be approached. But the bigfoot circus has come to town and I'm sure he will slowly fade away if he's as smart as I think he is!

[Guest Forbig]

They probably laughed at the scientists that said the world is round.

Any scientist that questions his actions would be a hypocrite and they don't deserve any position in any science field.

Edited October 8, 2011 by Forbig

[PBeaton]

Science is in itself, the search for answers, knowledge, it would be a shame if one didn't seek answers or knowledge...not very scientific if ya ask me.

Jeff's reputation is more than good with me, an his work appreciated.

Pat...

[Guest]

Amen Pat, and very well said!

I hope when the news comes out that he will be vindicated for his knowledge and continued efforts to bring forth the news of a new species to general science.

Thank you Pat..

[indiefoot]

The critics of Bigfoot investigation have decried the lack of scientific standards applied to the search, yet when a scientist with a degree in an applicable field joins the search and tirelessly lends his expertise to all who seek it out he is criticized at every opportunity by those same critics.

Bigfooters are for the most part a pretty gutsy bunch in my opinion. Most of us lack the courage to go against the popular position, I applaud those who have the courage to take a stance that is guaranteed to bring heat and not complain about it.

[Guest]

You got my point today for that statement Indiefoot!

Well Said...

[Guest tirademan]

What a joke!

He's doing EXACTLY what he should be doing...FOLLOWING HIS BLISS!

His reputation with other "scientists" doesn't mean squat because THEY'RE OUT THERE, THEY ARE REAL!

He doesn't need to worry about other's uneducated opinions as they will eat crow over time.

Tirademan

Tirademan