Hello Don:

I'm sure you must have seen my comments about your work on crustal deformation. If not, then I will tell you now that I think you are the only one who is doing credible scientific work that may prove to have validity in predicting earthquakes because the connection of crustal deformation is obvious in the stress-strain relationship. However, what you are doing is in no way analagous to predicting earthquakes on the basis of ear tones because there is no reason to infer such a hypothesis. It requires an incredible leap of faith to assume that an ear tone is caused by an earthquake hundreds of miles away when there are much more likely KNOWN possibilities for the ear tones within the human body. Your suggestion that ANY research is worthwhile because it COULD lead to important discoveries is not valid if the hypothesis on which it is based is extremely unlikely because it has no foundation in the vast body of scientific research that has been accumulated over the last several centuries. Where would you draw the line on credible hypotheses? Do sun spots cause earthquakes? Do Martians? Someone on this board recently suggested that his chills may signal an impending earthquake. Should we entertain the notion that he may have a credible idea in that supposition? I think not.