Self-appointed 'scientists' can do a disservice to science

A computer simulation shows how our sun and Earth warp space and time, or spacetime, represented here with a green grid in this image released in Washington February 11, 2016.[Photo/Agencies]

As gravitational waves have become a hot topic after their detection by LIGO, a worker with only middle school education who appeared on the job-hunting TV show Only You in 2010, has been called "Brother Nobel" online because he mentioned gravitational waves in the program. Some even joked Guo Yingshen should share the Nobel Prize in physics. People need dreams but they should not mix dreams with groundless surmise, said Science and Technology Daily on Monday:

Many people who commented on Guo Yingsen never actually watched his TV appearance. In the program, he talked first, but without explaining clearly what he wanted to express, and was questioned and ridiculed by some of the guest speakers and stopped by the host. As some have pointed out, the "experts" on the show may have shown a "lack of respect" for innovation, but his explanation would have been hard to follow even after hours of hearing him.

Guo should be counted as one of the self-appointed "scientists", who "invent theories" according to their imagination and refuse to have their ideas reviewed by any serious scientist. The fact that some people have even suggested, jokingly or otherwise, that Guo should share the nomination for the Nobel Prize was far-fetched and shows a lack of respect for proper science.

Some of Guo's supporters said his dream should be encouraged. But the author has met with dozens of people like Guo and most of them have driven themselves into blind alleys. These supporters do not know that the longer some people like him do their research, the worse their situations may be, because they need to adjust their approaches.

Both dreams and science should get due respect, but there are fundamental differences between a dream and surmise. Do not mistake the latter for the former only because someone approaches a science concept that happens to be popular.