Guillaume Belanger

Department of Physics

Carleton University

Ottawa, Canada

24 August 2001

 

 

Marc Brodsky (via e-mail)

CEO and Executive Director

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse

College Park, Maryland 20740

 

Dr. Brodsky,

 

I find this hard to believe...

 

The efforts that Jeff Schmidt must have exerted in order to accomplish the task of a full time, productive and highly qualified editor of Physics Today while writing a book on important issues that will inevitably help in bringing more openness and democracy as well as illuminating some of the inadequacies and injustices that exist at all levels of society and in particular in the Science community, should be rewarded and encouraged.  Not used as the grounds for dismissal.

 

If more people had the intellectual capacity and motivation that allowed Jeff Schmidt to do what he did, the Science community and the whole of society, would most likely be functioning in a much more sustainable, democratic and productive fashion.

 

I find it tremendously unfortunate and truly unacceptable that Dr. Jeff Schmidt's exemplary conduct should be regarded as offensive and be severely reprimanded when in fact it should be rewarded and encouraged.

 

Regretfully,

 

Guillaume Belanger