Behaviour of a scientific research organization?

**WVBIG** · January 21st, 2008, 09:45 AM

Would a legitimate scientific research organization: 1)Allow anyone willing to pay a high entrance fee, to participate in an expedition without providing anything but the priveledge of attending the expedition and 2)Allow anyone attending the expedition to take home any evidence they find?

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**HomoUniversalis** · January 21st, 2008, 10:30 AM

Originally Posted by WVBIG

Would a legitimate scientific research organization: 1)Allow anyone willing to pay a high entrance fee, to participate in an expedition without providing anything but the priveledge of attending the expedition

Scientific organisations are as varied as human enterprises go. A quick look at the functioning of scientific journals will make it all-too-obvious that not the scientific principles but market forces are a primary drive.

I think organisations should be judged on their own merits and their pretences. If an organisation talks about openness and sharing its resources with the world - a hight entrance fee is strange. On the other hand, considering the costs of organising an event, that's not really that strange. Especially because most events are university/company-subsidised making prices into the hundreds more reasonable.

and 2)Allow anyone attending the expedition to take home any evidence they find?

Why would you want to take any evidence home? Surely you would want it in a lab?

**WVBIG** · January 21st, 2008, 10:38 AM

I'm talking about an organization that is in no way affiliated with a college or university & requires all attending to bring their own food, camping equipment, & research equipment.

**HomoUniversalis** · January 21st, 2008, 10:58 AM

Originally Posted by WVBIG

I'm talking about an organization that is in no way affiliated with a college or university & requires all attending to bring their own food, camping equipment, & research equipment.

Perhaps they use the money for the license? I can only recommend contacting them and asking what the entrance fee buys.. why the price is so steep. If you are not satisfied with their answer - don't go.

Unless you think that appealing to their scientific credentials will motivate them to lower the price.

**WVBIG** · January 21st, 2008, 11:42 AM

Thanks. I'll try contacting them. The part that bothers me the most is that they let people keep whatever evidence that they find & I imagine most people can't afford, or have the resources, to have the proper testing done on the evidence. Such as DNA, Morphoogy, etc...

**WVBIG** · January 21st, 2008, 07:59 PM

They say the fee covers things like the travel & lodging expenses of the expedition organizer. The lowest amount I know of this bunch charging is $200/vehicle. Where is the leader staying & how is he traveling??? :? They rarely, if ever, go to Canada. And I know they don't leave the continent.

**HomoUniversalis** · January 21st, 2008, 08:21 PM

Originally Posted by WVBIG

They say the fee covers things like the travel & lodging expenses of the expedition organizer. The lowest amount I know of this bunch charging is $200/vehicle. Where is the leader staying & how is he traveling??? :? They rarely, if ever, go to Canada. And I know they don't leave the continent.

Well, there are two possibilities the way I see it. Either you find it acceptable, or you don't. In the first case, go with them, in the second case, don't.

If you want to vent your moral outrage, I suggest putting that energy to use in some way to convince potential customers to spend their money at more reputable venues. Just convincing one customer would piss them off plenty (considering their fee) methinks

**WVBIG** · January 21st, 2008, 08:29 PM

It just feels like a scam to me & I think it makes this particular field of research look very bad to the skeptical members of the mainstream scientific community & I feel it is a very worthy field of research.

**paralith** · January 21st, 2008, 11:19 PM

Would you be willing to share with us any particulars of the company you're talking about, or at least what field you're referring to?

**serpicojr** · January 22nd, 2008, 12:01 AM

Perchance this posse is patrolling for a primate of preposterous podalic proportions?

**WVBIG** · January 22nd, 2008, 09:53 AM

Originally Posted by paralith

Would you be willing to share with us any particulars of the company you're talking about, or at least what field you're referring to?

I'm referring to Bigfoot research. I don't want to mention the specific organization by name for fear of being accused of slander or liable.

**HomoUniversalis** · January 22nd, 2008, 10:03 AM

Wait..? Bigfoot research? You mean as in, 'looking for Bigfoot'?

**WVBIG** · January 22nd, 2008, 10:06 AM

Yes.

**paralith** · January 22nd, 2008, 10:39 AM

Though I may be giving into stereotypes here, this makes me think that the "scientific organization" that you're talking about isn't actually a scientific organization at all but a company taking advantage of a sensationalized phenomenon to make money. Especially if they're willing to let anyone with enough money take away whatever evidence they might find.

**WVBIG** · January 22nd, 2008, 10:56 AM

I agree paralith. "Scientific organization" is their term. Although I've never been on an archaeological dig, I've hear that pocketing artifacts is not permitted. So I can't imagine pocketing evidence being permitted on any kind of legitimate scientific expedition. So if they are advertising themselves as a "Scientific research organization" & taking money from people solely for the priveledge of attending a "Scientific expedition", are they guilty of fraud?