Bruce Flamm, a doctor and former research chairman is being sued for defamation by Kwang Yul Cha, the co-author of a 2001 paper that showed couples who were prayed for (but didn't know it) were more likely to conceive during in vitro fertilization. Flamm has linkurl:publicly criticized the paper;http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/15149/ for years, arguing it was too implausible to be believed. The lawsuit was a complete surprise, Flamm told me today. "I never would have dreamed that, years [after criticizing the paper], this would potentially end up in a jury trial," he said. "To me, it's always been linkurl:a scientific;http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/22226/ issue, not a personal issue. I've never met Dr. Cha." He had expected his comments to fuel a debate, and feed science's "self-correcting system," Flamm added. "As a research chairman and residency director this is what I have taught young doctors for twenty years. " He said that his lawyer is hopeful...
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