Richard Firestone
Richard Firestone together with his co-authors Allen West and Simon Warwick-Smith have written one of the most impressive accounts[110] of a cosmic collision that led to the extinction in North America of large mammals such as the mammoth and sabre-toothed tiger and the concurrent disappearance of the Clovis people at the end of the last Ice Age. Their impact theory also offers a credible explanation for the Carolina Bays. However, they propose that this collision had catastrophic global consequences. The three scientists are prepared to consider the possibility that Plato’s Atlantis story, however garbled, is related to the same episode.
Since the publication of their book some evidence(a) has emerged that would appear to conflict with their core thesis. This criticism appears to be gaining support according to a May 2011 report(b)(d).
The waters were muddied further when it was revealed that Allen West was formerly known as Allen Whitt, who was convicted in California of posing as a state-licenced geologist(b)(c) and fined $4,500! He legally changed his name in 2006. His respected co-authors were apparently unaware of his history history and as a consequence of West’s central role in the data gathering, the hypothesis is considered by some to be tainted. This may be a case of shooting the messenger instead of the message, a view discussed at length on the Internet(e).
(a) http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=comet-doubts
(b) http://www.miller-mccune.com/science/comet-claim-comes-crashing-to-earth-31180/
(c) http://www.geology.ca.gov/consumers/enforcement/jonkerwhitt.shtml
(e) http://www.sott.net/articles/show/229835-Real-Science-Under-Attack-The-Dirty-Tricks-of-Rex-Dalton
