>I have recently met a number of our friends on this group in real life.
>This conference I have met Tom Scharle (the final "e" is sound out, it
>transpires), and that was a great experience. I would say, more fun
>that meeting Simon Conway Morris, Francisco Ayala, and Peter Bowler, to
>name three.

>So I have direct experience that Tom is real. I failed to give him a
>book, because I accidentally signed two in NY, and so I left it there
>for sale on eBay when I am dead and famous (heh!). But I will send him
>one from Sydney when I return. He was a real help in finding material
>for it, as t.o-ers know.

>One of the fun aspects of this conference was that I nearly derailed
>one speaker at dinner the night before his talk, by pointing out that
>the pre-Darwinian Platonism was a myth. But since he spoke concurrently
>with my talk, I couldn't heckle him... he seemed relieved.

>So thanks to Tom and hi to all. San Francisco next, then home...