New Post: "I Do Listen to the Experts. Do YOU?"

[Mark Knowles]

That is certainly true. But denying anyone to be an expert on the Voynich manuscript, because he or she cannot answer reliably any of many most basic questions about the manuscript seems to me appropriate.

For me, an expert is someone who is particularly qualified in certain areas. For example, a computer scientist could be consulted when it comes to checking the plausibility of a suspected cryptological procedure. In my opinion, one cannot assume that this expert has an answer to many fundamental questions about the VMS. Such a "polymath" contradicts my definition of an expert. As I said, he or she can only provide answers to partial areas. The task of placing an expert's findings in a wider context is left to the questioner. Of course, a discussion can always be helpful to prevent results from being "bent" to fit one's own theory.

Yes. That is what I have said about a specialist in a particular area like medieval astrology. These are precisely the kind of people I think we should consult more.