Robert L. Park

Park was born in 1931 in Kansas City, Missouri. His father was a lawyer and a farmer in southern Texas, and Park had originally intended to attend law school himself.{{Cite book|title=Oral history interview with Robert Park|last1=Park|first1=Robert L|last2=McCray|first2=Patrick|date=2001|oclc = 881393559|language=en}} He entered the Air Force in 1951 and served (among other places) at Walker Air Force Base in Roswell, New Mexico until 1956. When the Air Force sent him to radar school, he discovered a passion for physics.{{Cite news | url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C02E5D61639F93AA15757C0A9669C8B63&sec=health | title=A Claim-Buster by Calling; From U.F.O. Dreams To Federal Schemes, He Debunks Them All | first=Patricia | last=Cohen | newspaper=The New York Times | date=April 29, 2000 | issn=0362-4331 }}

Park obtained his bachelor's and master's degrees in physics at the University of Texas at Austin in 1958 and 1960, and his Ph.D. in physics at Brown University in 1964.{{cite web | url=https://www.physics.umd.edu/people/faculty/cv/ParkCV.pdf | title=Curriculum Vitae: Robert L. Park | year=2003 | publisher=University of Maryland | access-date=2009-01-10 }} During his graduate work he was associated with physicist Harrison E. Farnsworth with whom he co-authored several papers.

Park spent almost a decade working as a member of the technical staff, and later director of the Surface Physics Division, at Sandia National Laboratories, a U.S. government weapons research laboratory. In 1974, Park took a faculty position at the University of Maryland physics department, where he remained until retirement. He was director of UMD's Center of Materials Research from 1975 to 1978 and chairman of the Department of Physics and Astronomy from 1978 to 1982.

He was a Fellow of the American Physical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Vacuum Society.

From 1983 until 2006, he was director of public information at the Washington office of the American Physical Society. In this role (which he established), he engaged politicians and the press on matters of science and public policy. The Washington office now employs six people and Park continued in an advisory capacity. He has been seen in the media as an outspoken critic of human spaceflight,{{Cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/22/opinion/22park.html | title=Opinion: The Dark Side of the Moon | first=Robert L. | last=Park | date=January 16, 2006 | issn=0362-4331 | access-date=2009-01-10 | newspaper=The New York Times }} efforts to colonize space, and the prototype U.S. National Missile Defense (as well as its predecessor SDI).{{cite web | url=http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN87/wn112787.html | first=Robert L. | last=Park | title=What's New | publisher=University of Maryland | date=1987-11-27 | access-date=2009-01-11 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704142054/http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN87/wn112787.html | archive-date=2008-07-04 }}

Since 2013, Park has been listed on the Advisory Council of the National Center for Science Education.{{cite web |url=https://ncse.com/about/advisory-council |title=Advisory Council |website=ncse.com |publisher=National Center for Science Education |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130810112828/https://ncse.com/about/advisory-council |archive-date=2013-08-10 |access-date=2018-10-30}}

Park wrote a column, [https://web.archive.org/web/20160307014547/http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/archives.html What's New], which appeared on the University of Maryland's website. It featured discussions on topics such as science news, space exploration, energy, the government in science, pseudoscience, alternative medicine, the creation–evolution controversy,{{cite web|url=http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN89/wn081889.html|first=Robert L.|last=Park|title=What's New: Pathological Science, Pseudo-Science and "Creation" Science|publisher=University of Maryland|date=1989-08-18|access-date=2009-01-11|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828041041/http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN89/wn081889.html|archive-date=2008-08-28}} and nuclear weapons.{{cite web|url=http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN02/wn051702.html#3|first=Robert L.|last=Park|title=What's New: Nuclear Posture Review: Senate Hearing Takes Up The Debate|publisher=University of Maryland|date=2002-05-17|access-date=2009-01-11|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090401035608/http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN02/wn051702.html#3|archive-date=2009-04-01}} Park has also expressed his opinion that Wikipedia is a target for misuse by the "purveyors of pseudoscience",{{cite web|url=http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN07/wn032307.html#3| first=Robert L.|last=Park | title=Wikipedia: Has a beautiful idea fallen victim to human nature?|publisher=What's New By Bob Park|date=2007-03-23|access-date=2007-04-02}} though he has also stated that he finds the site to be both indispensable and "cool".{{cite web|url=http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN09/wn082809.html|first=RL|last=Park|title=What's New:Wikipedia: It's Still a Beautiful Idea, but Maybe Not Perfect|publisher=University of Maryland|date=2009-08-28|access-date=2009-08-29|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091003003518/http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN09/wn082809.html|archive-date=2009-10-03}} In 2009 Park gave a public lecture at Dartmouth College on Malthusian overpopulation and the environment.{{cite web | url=http://www.dartmouth.edu/~physics/news/public.lecture.abstract.html | title=Abstract: The Last Endangered Species: Population Dynamics on a Finite Planet | publisher=Dartmouth College | date=2009-02-19 | access-date=2009-03-08 }}{{cite web | url=http://www.dartmouth.edu/~physics/news/colloquium.archives/park_2.19.09.pdf | title=Presentation Notes: The Last Endangered Species: Population Dynamics on a Finite Planet | publisher=Dartmouth College | date=2009-02-19 | access-date=2009-03-08 }} He called for the distribution of the birth control pill, "arguably the most important technological development in history", to reduce fertility rates in developing nations. Park has criticized Texas A&M University's Trotter Prize for being awarded to creationist and intelligent design advocate William A. Dembski, whom Park calls "one of the nation's top pseudoscientists", for inappropriately forcing religion and science together.{{Cite web | last = Park | first = RL | title = 2005 Trotter Prize: An Award for Overlapping the Magisteria | website = What's New by Bob Park | date = 2005-04-08 | url = http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN05/wn040805.html | access-date = 2010-08-10 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100601173839/http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN05/wn040805.html | archive-date = 2010-06-01 }}

In 2000 Park published the book Voodoo Science, which addressed and criticized topics such as alternative medicine, telepathy and homeopathy.{{Cite book |year=2000 |author=Park, Robert L |title=Voodoo Science: The road from foolishness to fraud |place=Oxford, U.K. & New York |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-860443-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xzCK6-Kqs6QC&q=%22voodoo+science%22 |access-date=14 November 2010 }} Reviewing the book for The New York Times, Ed Regis compared it positively to the 1957 book by Martin Gardner, Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science, calling Voodoo Science a "worthy successor" and praising it for explaining why various purportedly scientific claims were in fact impossible.{{Cite news | url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B01E4D6153DF937A35755C0A9669C8B63 | title=There's One Born Every Minute | first=Ed | last=Regis | newspaper=The New York Times | date=June 4, 2000 | issn=0362-4331 | access-date=2009-01-10 }}

Science fiction author Charles Platt reviewed the book for The Washington Post, criticizing it for citing news stories as the inspiration for his criticisms and using ad hominem attacks against individuals criticized rather than performing a more thorough investigation of the topics, and speaking with the actual researchers.{{Cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A55991-2000Jun24 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130209023333/http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A55991-2000Jun24 | url-status=dead | archive-date=February 9, 2013 | title=Testing the Current | first=Charles | last=Platt | newspaper=Washington Post | date=June 25, 2000 | issn=0190-8286 | access-date=2009-01-10}} This was followed by a number of letters to the editor criticizing Platt for bias.{{Cite news|url=http://nucnews.net/nucnews/2000nn/0007nn/000723nn.htm |title=LETTERS |newspaper=Washington Post |date=July 23, 2000 |page=X11 |access-date=2009-01-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928000217/http://nucnews.net/nucnews/2000nn/0007nn/000723nn.htm |archive-date=September 28, 2007 }}

In 2010 Park published his second book, Superstition: Belief in the Age of Science.{{Cite book | first=Robert L. | last=Park | title=Superstition: Belief in the Age of Science | location=Princeton | publisher=Princeton University Press | year=2010 | pages=240 | isbn=978-0-691-13355-3 }} On-line [http://press.princeton.edu/titles/8720.html excerpt] Publishers Weekly called the book "disjointed", unfavorably comparing it to Daniel Dennett's Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon for merely summarizing the existing arguments about science and religion.{{Cite book| title= Superstition: Belief in the Age of Science |isbn = 978-0691133553|year = 2008| last1= Park | first1= Robert L. | publisher=Princeton University Press }} Park commented that the reviewer for Publishers Weekly was offended at his assertion that "science is the only way of knowing."{{cite web | url = http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN09/wn081409.html | last = Park | first = B | title = What's New by Bob Park | date = 2009-08-14 | access-date = 2010-08-09 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100531193153/http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN09/wn081409.html | archive-date = 2010-05-31 }} Booklist reviewed the book positively for its lucid style, engaging with respected scientists who also hold strong religious faith and its internal logic against claims of supernatural revelation and New Age irrationality. The same review noted that Park was less compelling in addressing his own atheism, neurochemistry and its ability to address problems such as free will.

Park was married to Gerry and lived in Adelphi, Maryland. They have two sons, Robert Jr. and Daniel, and three grandchildren.

On September 3, 2000, Park was hospitalized after being struck by a falling oak tree. He later wrote about the experience in his book, Superstition: Belief in the Age of Science.

Park suffered a hemorrhagic stroke on March 17, 2013, which resulted in difficulty with reading, writing, and speech. In a newsletter update to his readers dated July 12, 2013, Park wrote, "Many wonderful people are helping me, but recovery is a long process. I am optimistic that I will resume writing What’s New." Park stated that he will continue writing his newsletter because "the public is often misled by reports in the media and unaware of it".Park, Robert L. (July 12, 2013). [http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu "What's New"]. University of Maryland.

Park died April 29, 2020, survived by his wife and two sons.{{cite web | url=https://umdphysics.umd.edu/about-us/news/department-news/1594-bob-park.html | date=May 1, 2020 | title=Robert Lee Park, 1931 - 2020 | website=University of Maryland Department of Physics | access-date=May 13, 2020 }}

• 1958 Phi Beta Kappa (University of Texas)
• 1998 Joseph A. Burton Forum Award from the American Physical Society for his What's New column.{{cite web | url=http://www.aps.org/programs/honors/prizes/prizerecipient.cfm?last_nm=Park&first_nm=Robert&year=1998 | title=1998 Joseph A. Burton Forum Award Recipient | publisher=American Physical Society | access-date=2008-01-10 }}
• 2008 NCAS Philip J. Klass Award from the National Capital Area Skeptics{{cite web | title=NCAS Philip J. Klass Award – March 2008 – For outstanding contributions in promoting critical thinking and scientific understanding | url=http://ncas.org/flyers/KlassAward_program2008.pdf | publisher=National Capital Area Skeptics | access-date=2008-01-10 }}

• {{cite book|last=Park|first=Robert L.|title=Voodoo science: the road from foolishness to fraud|year=2002|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford [Oxfordshire]|isbn=978-0-19-860443-3}}
• {{cite book|last=Park|first=Robert L.|title=Superstition: Belief in the Age of Science|year=2010|publisher=Princeton University Press|location=Princeton, N.J|isbn=978-0-691-14597-6}}

{{reflist|2}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120514164744/http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/archives.html What's New] – Bob Park's weekly column and newsletter up to 2012, now at Archive.org
• [http://www.umdphysics.umd.edu/people/faculty/emeritus/item/389-bobpark.html Park, Robert – Research Professor and Professor Emeritus] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150922154628/http://umdphysics.umd.edu/people/faculty/emeritus/item/389-bobpark.html |date=2015-09-22 }}. Physics Department, University of Maryland, College Park
• [http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specials/1246_the_forum/page8.shtml Audio: Robert Park in conversation on the BBC World Service discussion show] The Forum

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