In The Wake Of Gilbert's Testimony, Toyota Dropped Support For Southern Illinois University
Much of the hysteria over a possible electronic cause for the Toyota unintended acceleration scandal (aka “the ghost in the machine”) stemmed from an ABC report featuring Southern Illinois University professor David Gilbert. Gilbert demonstrated to ABC’s Brian Ross that unintended acceleration could be triggered in Toyotas without generating an error code, but the report didn’t address the likelihood of this happening. Furthermore, ABC was found to have used misleading footage in that report. Gilbert went on to testify in one of the least convincing panels ever convened before congress, and even after Toyota held an event aimed solely at debunking his suspicions, Gilbert has persisted in believing that something is wrong with Toyota’s electronics. As a result, the AP [via CBC] reports that Toyota has pulled funding for two internships at SIU, two Toyota employees resigned from its automotive technology program advisory board, and another demanded that Gilbert be fired. The AP seems very keen to call these retaliations “smears,” but given recent revelations about the government investigation into Toyota’s electronic throttle control system, it seems that Gilbert and SIU are simply reaping what they’ve sown.
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Ugh, the AP, the place has become the icon of worst face of agenda-driven American media. In fact, this AP story reminds me of the scuffle they are in with TechCrunch and Woot where the AP lifted 24 words from their blogs, and AP not being happy that they were called out on it: http://techcrunch.com/2010/07/06/ap-woot-oil-spill/ http://www.woot.com/Blog/ViewEntry.aspx?Id=13420 The circumstances of the AP disagreement aren't important, but the fact of the non sequitur mention of BP is very telling of how they see themselves and the role they play in promoting certain news. ... Aside from that "Toyota tried to silence critic" from AP, its interesting how they've handle the recent NHTSA report on driver error and SUA, the only article they put is "Gov't says it's made no conclusions in Toyota case". http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TOYOTA_RECALL?SITE=SCCOL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Its an almost a begrudgingly written article, as if they really didn't want to write anything that wasn't negative about Toyota. Most of it is a cut-and-paste job of all the negative things they can say about Toyota. They even mention the dubious NHTSA deaths claim taken from databases. http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/89-dead-in-the-nhtsa-complaint-database-it%E2%80%99s-a-sham/
Toyota should have given SIU MORE money. For non-profit organizations, with donations comes power and ultimately control. Ask any university president about large donors, naming buildings after them is only the tip of the iceberg. A coup for Toyota would have been to endow an engineering chair and fill it with someone who could directly contradict Prof Gilbert's findings. (Bet those faculty metings would be a hoot!) Say, "The Toyota Motor Corporation Chair in Automotive Safety".
Not Southern Indiana University, as NexWest said. There is no such place for one thing--(its the University of Southern Indiana, which I think used to be the University of Evansville, although I haven't looked it up). Gilbert is a Saluki. I know all those Midwestern states that begin with an I look alike, but they really are different.
Had the claims about Toyota's design flaws been proven true, I would strongly object to their removal of support for the school. Truth is a defense. As the the NHSTA's findings do not substantiate the school's claims, I believe that Toyota is justified in their actions. You shouldn't have to support those who make false claims about you. To Somedude - Dude, give it up. It's gone. When you rewire a circuit to the extent Gilbert went to, it's no longer the same circuit. What he did is like showing how a giraffe can fly. You can make it happen if you just make enough changes. However, while it might be possible in the lab, but the odds of it happening naturally are Infinitesimal.* *Think Elvis reappearing from a Martian spaceship riding a dinosaur.