Why are scientists filing lawsuits against their critics? (2017)

While I'm not familiar with the particulars of this case, I could see a scientist suing for misrepresenting his research in a libelous way. The publication in question could have been attacking a strawman with his name attached (not saying it was, just that this isn't a glaring issue with the scientist to me unless I know more).

Not entirely unheard of for brawls to break out over scholarly disputes in the old days.

The oddest thing about Stanford's renewable energy program is that it's funded by something called the GCEP (Global Climate and Energy Program) which in turn counts ExxonMobile as a major sponsor. Does ExxonMobil really have any interest in seeing its fossil fuel market destroyed by renewable energy competition?

https://gcep.stanford.edu/about/exxonmobil.html

There are also some interesting provisions about Exxon having some control of intellectual property arising from GCEP work in the details of the agreements. Not really surprising that nothing much has come out of that program.

Truly beats me. I mean, if you were confident in your hypothesis, then why in Heaven's name would you file a lawsuit (a lawsuit!) against fellow scientists who are poking holes in the theory.

Truthfully, these days it's really beginning to seem as though I'm living through the wrong century. I mean it's like something broke in the world, and basic common sense went took a looong vacation.

Despite all that, Jacobson's work gets uncritical acclaim in the popular press to this day, even as other scientists keep pointing out problems with it.

Last I can find is that Stanford has been ordered to cover ~$70k of Jacobson’s legal fees by the CA Labor Commissioner.

If that holds I wonder if we can expect more spurious lawsuits from CA professors, knowing their employer will be forced to backstop them.

https://retractionwatch.com/2022/09/12/stanford-prof-appeals...