Re: Steam better than diesel - New Scientist

[Peter Ware <pware@ozemail.com.au>]

dave pierson wrote:

> > Peter Ware wrote:
>
> > > In the few years that I have been "lurking" in this newsgroup, I have
> > > noticed the odd posting about steam making a come back. These postings
> > > have often appeared very early in April giving considerable doubt to
> > > their authenticity.
>
> > > However, this weeks issue of the prestigious magazine "New Scientist"
> > > (17 July) contains a well written feature article on this very subject.
>
>         Welllll.  I guess I consider Railway Gazette International to
>         be 'prestigious', on railway matters.
>
>         Was the article by:
>                 A working locomtive designer?
>                 A working locomotive driver (engineer in 'murrican.)
>                 Anyone working for a railroad?
>

New Scientist primarily use contracted authors for specific articles - unlike
other science journals such as "Nature" where authors submit articles in the
hope that they will get published (most do not). As to "prestigious" - yes the
label does apply. New Scientists is a well respected and widely read
International magazine covering scientific, technological, engineering issues
and their related social issues. It is certainly not a "crackpot" magazine.

The author of the article was Jeremy Webb who has contributed other articles on
engineering issues - there is no information or footnote in the artcile about
the qualifications of the author. But does it matter ?? Ray Warren (Channel 9
NRL commentator) also calls international swimming events - does this mean that
he has to be both a footballer and an international swimmer before he can work
as a TV journalist in those areas?

The article reported the facts (provided by the designers/builders) and the
observations of the author. Does this disqualify it from being a scholarly or
informative piece? Of course, anyone is free to disagree with an authors
conclusions or even question his/her presentation of the facts.

I posted my original piece on the the article because I found it interesting to
discover that steam still can still have a place in modern railways. I make no
claims to its accuracy, etc.

Peter Ware