- #1
TomServo
- 281
- 9
I'm a grad student working on a PhD in physics at an accredited university in the US. I have the opportunity this Summer of doing a side research project or two under the auspices of a physicist who works at a private research outfit funded by another physicist who was involved in "paranormal" research in the 70s. Googling of their names reveals people describing them as "crackpot" etc. This institute is involved in a lot of "fringe" research like testing MOND (he said they got a null result) and googling reveals research involving teleportation, psi abilities, UFOs, etc., sometimes with military funding. His pages on Research Gate, Inspire HEP, and arXiv do not inspire confidence.
I understand that private, for-profit research isn't as much about publishing as in academia or national labs, but I'm worried that (while he seems to have genuine physics expertise) he is a fringe figure and possibly a "crackpot" that I would do more harm than good to my career to co-author with. Another professor at the university invited him to pitch these projects to us. I'm thinking of bringing my concerns to him, but I wanted to hear what other people said first.
Am I worrying about nothing? Does this *seem* good or bad to anybody? I'd appreciate anybody's input, thanks.
I understand that private, for-profit research isn't as much about publishing as in academia or national labs, but I'm worried that (while he seems to have genuine physics expertise) he is a fringe figure and possibly a "crackpot" that I would do more harm than good to my career to co-author with. Another professor at the university invited him to pitch these projects to us. I'm thinking of bringing my concerns to him, but I wanted to hear what other people said first.
Am I worrying about nothing? Does this *seem* good or bad to anybody? I'd appreciate anybody's input, thanks.