Via Mano, I am reassured to learn that not all scientists were taken in by Epstein. Sean M. Carroll represents what I’d regard as the best response to the blandishments of a perverse, corrupt weirdo trying to seduce scientists with money.
His host interrupted the meal to call Epstein and then handed Carroll the phone.
“It was a 2-minute conversation, and frankly, it didn’t make much of an impression on me at the time,” Carroll says. “As best I can remember, we talked about the Big Bang and dark energy and things like that.”
But Carroll says when he told others about the call, including his wife, science writer Jennifer Ouellette, we “were rolling our eyes.” In a recent blog post, Carroll said Epstein came off as a “standard, fast-talking charlatan who trotted out lots of big words with no real understanding [of them].”
A few months later, Carroll received an email invitation to a scientific conference at Epstein’s home on his private Caribbean island. “It was billed as a workshop of scientists from different fields, something that I usually find appealing, and it sounded like fun,” he says. But he declined after learning a bit more about the arrangements.
“Jennifer was also invited,” Carroll recounts. “But when we asked if she would be a participant, they said ‘she could go shopping with the other wives.’ And we were repulsed by that sexist attitude.”
“I had no idea through any of this that he was a convicted sex offender,” Carroll adds. “That would have made it a much easier decision for me. But in 2010 he was not a famous person. If I had tried really hard, I could have found out about [his criminal record], but the thought that I would really have to try hard never entered my mind.”
Carroll says the lure of possible funding wasn’t an issue for him. “I’m not desperate for money,” he says. “And besides, at the end of your life, who you are is the accumulation of the things you did. It’s not just how much money you got.”
“standard, fast-talking charlatan who trotted out lots of big words with no real understanding [of them]” is a pretty good summary of the the Epstein spiel. Keep that in mind when you read about scientists who were taking rides on Epstein’s plane — they had to be either stupidly naive or criminally greedy.
“standard, fast-talking charlatan who trotted out lots of big words with no real understanding [of them].”
So…someone working in advertising, or writing spiritual / self-help books?
There is clearly something wrong with our entire system and the way we fund research at universities is one component. I’ve heard too much from friends and family about the issues with research funding and his comment reminded me: “Carroll says the lure of possible funding wasn’t an issue for him.”
It is and was for others.
Any chance we can talk this Carrol into running for the Dems? Maybe primary one of the corrupt ones?
Carroll is, in my view, the best popularizer of science because he tells readers not to be afraid of math, and he guides them through equations, even giving them an intuitive understanding of calculus. He let’s you know that you don’t have to be able to solve them, but you can understand them. In other words, he doesn’t talk down to readers, he challenges them, and he gives them what they need to rise to the challenge.
Yet another “scientist“ trying to disavow his connections to Israeli money. They make me sick, pedophilia or not.
I some analysis online that of the three scientists featured, two of them explicitly consulted and considered the perspective of women in their lives, and that was a significant factor in distancing themselves from Epstein.
@5 willj – are you sure this is the same Sean Carroll? There seem to be two. One is Sean Carroll, CEO of American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera) – the one in this post is not him. I could be wrong though, I never heard of either of them until today.