Dear Bill,

 Thanks indeed for the kind words.

 The fact that you have taken so much of your own time and effort to grasp the material, is exactly the reason for putting it out there.  I'm an old dog, will be 71 next month, and am struggling along with some of the debilities that old dogs often have.

 The hope of the future is always the younger generations.  So if one has worked out some things that appear to be correct and would advance science, one should find some way to get it out to the younger generations if at all possible.  In other words, it is far better if that young grad student, post doc, or undergraduate can rapidly come up to where I think I may be, and then just start from there and go much further.  Also, many of them will have far better abilities in many disciplines than I do.  So they will find what mistakes I made, correct them, and proceed.  That's the way that science develops.

 It all comes down to a relay race.  At some point, the old dogs who have gotten fatigued and faltering, have to pass the baton along to the more vigorous, energetic youngsters.  Or at least they have to try.

So that's what I'm trying to do; just pass a baton, such as it is.  It's still pretty crude, but I expect it will get very much better as far more capable researchers than I am start picking up the race.

 Best wishes,

Tom Bearden

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Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2001 01:17:52 -0500
20-Nov-2001

Tom,

I've been following your work over the years for probably the last 5 or so
years.
That includes reading quite an amount of your materials, including
Fer-de-Lance (which we finally obtained vis inter-library from
Wright-Patterson's library in Dayton, Ohio, where it had been read so often as to require rebinding).

Let's put it this way: were I to ever hit a large lottery -- not likely as I
rarely play -- it could get very tempting indeed to recruit a few
outstanding grad students to help rapidly lay the barest of foundations for
me to use in better understanding some of your work. And yes, I am
remembering various of your comments regarding what is and is not taught in traditional college physics curriculums.

I truly wish I did not share your evaluation that this "war" is going to
become far more costly than we as a populace have begun to anticipate.
However, my own research and analysis such as it is, strongly indicates that the probabilities go in that direction.

This is not a process of working up to asking a question, nor of positing an
idea.  I simply wish to express my appreciation for the truly amazing and
groundbreaking work that you've done over the decades, as well as for your perseverance over that ,long period.

And I certainly appreciate the updates to your cheniere.org website,
especially including the correspondence section.


I've been gratified to have sensed that your fairly recent heart episode is
responding to treatment, and pray that that progress continues.

Thank you, sir, from one of the many who have and shall continue to find
your work awe-inspiring!

May you and yours enjoy a healthy and meaningful holiday season, and many more years to come.

Bill
Northeast Ohio