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NEWSCIENCENEWSCIENCENEWSCIENCE random mutation and natural selection; plate tectonics and continental drift; special and general relativity; and the assumption that genomes are the complete blueprint for life forms. Corliss made no claims of completeness. Indeed, he would constantly point out that he had covered just a fraction of the literature on a subject. In 2005, he wrote that his 40 published volumes detailing more than 2,000 scientific anomalies and _ "provocative" phenomena represented just 50 per cent of his database. And even after decades of work, only a handful of English-language journals had received his serious attention. "The journals in other languages, government reports, conference papers, publications of research facilities, proceedings of state academies of science and an immense reservoir of pertinent books," he noted, "remain almost untapped." The task he faced was daunting: "The anomalies residing in the world's literature seem infinite in number." random mutation and natural of such enormous scope. His selection; plate tectonics and _ catalogues are unique in the annals continental drift; special and general of science in that he catalogued not relativity; and the assumption that what is known but what is not known. genomes are the complete blueprint "It seems to me that any organised or life forms. activity like science would have done Corliss made no claims of this along time ago," he said. "It is at completeness. Indeed, he would least as important to realise what is constantly point out that he had _ not known as it is to recognise the covered just a fraction of the well-explained." iterature on a subject. In 2005, he Though Corliss has often been wrote that his 40 published volumes called a modern-day Charles Fort, detailing more than 2,000 scientific their differences are considerable. anomalies and "provocative" Unlike Fort, he avoided using phenomena represented just 50 per newspapers as the source of his data cent of his database. And even after whenever possible, preferring instead decades of work, only a handful of to depend on _ academically English-language journals had accredited journals that described received his serious attention. anomalies that were the product of “The journals in other languages, — scientific observation, research and government reports, conference exploration. papers, publications of research Furthermore, Corliss, unlike Fort, acilities, proceedings of state was not anti-science and he did not academies of science and an_ editorialise. He thought that the immense reservoir of pertinent data were damning enough on their books," he noted, "remain almost own. "In the Catalog of Anomalies,” untapped." The task he faced was he wrote, "the data rule; all theories daunting: "The anomalies residing in and hypotheses are held to be the world's literature seem infinite in tentative. The history of science number." proves that this is a wise policy." He never lost his enthusiasm, and Corliss saw anomalies as a way to one has to admire his courage in renew, to reinvigorate, science. single-handedly attempting a project While his first volume of anomalies, entitled Strange Phenomena, was actually recommended by both Nature and Science, quite often the publication of his catalogues met with disbelief, even disdain. The critics claimed that the data must be in error, that the data are anecdotal or too old, that a supposed anomaly was explained long ago. His reply? "The baseline of well-established theories, against which anomalousness is measured, is always shifting and some data, indeed, are bad. But for every anomaly or example that can be legitimately demolished, ten more take its place. Nature is very anomalous or, equivalently, Nature is not yet well-understood by science." Such words did not endear him to the scientific mainstream, which largely ignored much of his later work. The late sociologist Marcello Truzzi, however, called Corliss "an unsung hero of science". to A Legacy for Humanity Corliss did not have any illusions about the impact that The Sourcebook Project would have on science. Would it revolutionise science? "Probably not—at least not immediately,” he wrote. I was introduced to The Sourcebook Project in the late 1970s, when I received my very first published volume of anomalies from the mail- order service he operated with his wife, Virginia. Shortly afterwards, | met and interviewed Corliss for an article | was writing on his work for Science Digest. We kept in touch over the years, and | would occasionally send him a news clipping for the newsletter he published, called Oetae ee Dan - Science Frontiers. After being involved in producing a couple of science exhibits for museums, | began to think that his work should have a wider audience, that there should be a William Corliss Museum of Anomalies or at least an William Corliss lecturing at FortFest in the early 1990s. (Source: Antonio Huneeus) 50 * NEXUS Continued on page 84 DECEMBER 2011 - JANUARY 2012 www.nexusmagazine.com