Review clears distinguished FSU professor

Review clears distinguished FSU professor

"It wouldn’t be accurate to say that Florida State University professor Greg Erickson feels vindicated. That might imply that Erickson thought there was a possibility there could be any other outcome.
Erickson, a biologist who is one of the nation’s leading paleontologists, had his research challenged last December in a front-page story in the New York Times. The article featured claims by Nathan Myhrvold, an eccentric multimillionaire and former chief technology officer at Microsoft, and his recently published paper disputing research work done by an international group that Erickson led.
A team at FSU assembled by Gary Ostrander, vice president of the Office of Research, reviewed articles in prominent publications such as Nature that Myhrvold had taken issue with and determined there were no flaws in Erickson’s team’s work.
“There was no scientific misconduct whatsoever so I wasn’t surprised by the outcome. I don’t think any of my professional colleagues who know me thought there was any kernel of truth to the allegations,” Erickson said"

"Myhrvold could not be reached for comment. A firm that represents him, Intellectual Ventures, declined to comment. But a spokeswoman for the company said that Myhrvold believes that two publications, Nature and Anatomical Record, are conducting their own investigations of Erickson’s team’s work.
Erickson said he does not believe that is true, and that the publications rely on scientists to review other scientists’ work.
Research methods change as advances in technology provide scientists with better, more sophisticated tools. The original work Myhrvold challenged is two decades old, Erickson said.
“It’s like looking at the Wright brothers’ plane and criticizing them for not using carbon fiber,” he said."