It is tough defending the position that Scientific American was right to fire Forrest Mims as the author of "The Amateur Scientist" column. Mims meets one of the central requirements of the job--he is a competent amateur scientist. He is also an excellent writer, as anyone who has had the pleasure of reading any of his numerous popular science writings can attest.

Not only does Mims have many of the requisite credentials for the job, it is no fun defending the conduct of those at Scientific American who gave him the boot. Having discovered that Mims is a creationist, the magazine's staff went on to ask him some obviously inappropriate questions about his views concerning abortion, subsequently and inexcusably killed off "The Amateur Scientist" column, and, judging from media reports that I've read, continue to manifest the alacrity of an ostrich under predatory attack in defending the decision to let...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

Receive full access to digital editions of The Scientist, as well as TS Digest, feature stories, more than 35 years of archives, and much more!