Zak's Proposals - Various

RE: Zak's Proposals

930310 — Sat, 15 Jul 2023 07:25:40 +0000

@aquanaut_chalk This is a mature take and I am glad that you understand when there needs to be skepticism, and when there doesn’t.

RE: Zak's Proposals

ChrisR — Sat, 15 Jul 2023 06:21:25 +0000

Admitting when one is wrong, also tends to engender respect from others and enhance the credibility of the person who is big enough to do it.

RE: Zak's Proposals

AQ — Sat, 15 Jul 2023 04:30:52 +0000

I think it's quite sad that Zak publishes these papers claiming to have "newly discovered" information on these Supercentenarians, but it's his own personal theories and none of them are backed up by science. A gullible person such as myself reads his papers, and ends up believing and then spreading the false information that Zak published.

I mean he can publish whatever theories he has in mind, as long as he makes sure to clearly state that these are his personal "theories" and not fact, the way he misleads people to believe. Like that nonsense he published about Jiroemon Kimura having an identity swap with his brother when he was in his 90s? I mean, come on that's ridiculous. And I was a bit disappointed when he came out and said that Mrs. Lucile Randon was "much" younger than the age claimed. I think that it is without a doubt that Mrs. Randon lived 118 years & 340 days, end of story.

And he needs to provide actual evidence of these theories he has. Like when he said that Mrs. Emma Morano was several years younger than 117, but he had absolutely no evidence to show anything. He literally said that no evidence was provided him. First of all, Mrs. Morano was indeed 100% 117 years old, so if Zak wants to theorize, he should find cases that are not already validated, the way Mrs. Morano's case is. Second, Zak should change his frequent use of the word "probably" to "possibly", unless he has genuine probable evidence instead of just some theory.

EDIT: Zak also needs to admit when evidence shows that he was wrong. Like, I was 100% totally wrong about my theories of Goddard Diamond. I mean, I get it's hard to admit when you're wrong but it's not the end of the world. If Zak just came out and said he was wrong about Breuning, Morano, Randon, Tanaka, Kimura and all the others it would at least make him a more respectable.

RE: Zak's Proposals

Futurist — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 21:46:41 +0000

FWIW, the identity switch hypothesis was even ruled out in Delphia Welford's case thanks to me finding 1885 and 1892 Mississippi school census records for her and her siblings, so I'm extraordinarily skeptical of this hypothesis for the other SCs mentioned above, other than possibly for Mathew Beard, and even then, it wasn't an *intentional* identity switch even there.

RE: Zak's Proposals

AQ — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 05:22:56 +0000

@cbb12355 I agree with you. After reviewing more of Zak's conspiracy theories, I have to conclude that his claims have zero credibility. I Shouldn't like to say anything rude about Zak, but I mean the honest truth is that some of his theories, especially the ones on Morano, Kimura, Randon, and Mortensen are pure nonsensical. Personally, after hearing what the other members on the gsf have to say, they have opened my eyes to the truth about Zak, and I too can no longer give him the benefit of the doubt.

RE: Zak's Proposals

Cbb12355 — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 03:15:55 +0000

Personally, I tend not to believe anything else this guy says about supercentenarians and conspiracy theories. There's a limit to where is acceptable to debate, but that's crossed the line with this post...

RE: Zak's Proposals

ChrisR — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 23:00:00 +0000

The above negativity is all accurate and fair.

Zak tends to do two things Aquanaut_Chalk.

1. Copy and quote the research of others on debunked cases. As has been said above, there is nothing new here, re the debunked cases of Izumi, Beard, Carrie White and others.

None of this is his work.

2. Put forward conspiracy theories on other cases - always without documentation or proof.

There is never any meaningful proof behind the Calments, Breunings and others that fall into category 2.

If he came up with some solid documents to support even some of his theories he could have some credibility. As it sits he just wastes everyone’s time.

RE: Zak's Proposals

AQ — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 22:01:37 +0000

@metajore Dude it's unbelievable how many people accept everything he says as correct. I mean I did believe a few things he has said in the past, but I never even came close to believing every single one of his theories. He was right about Beard and White, and he's probably correct about Tajima and Izumi but that's where I would draw the line of his plausible claims. He also suggested that after Mortensen moved to the United States, in his old age, someone may have taken on his identity and considered sending his relatives in Demark, letters. This I dismissed right away as this is just absolute nonsense, which is why I did not include it in my opinions at the top post.

RE: Zak's Proposals

AQ — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 21:55:31 +0000

@simon-frogg Agreed. Zak seems to take in gullible people like me and turn them toward his beliefs. I mean he made some very good points, and he was correct about Carrie White and Mathew Beard but the rest of his work needs way more research and investigation of he wants to prove anything. And I shouldn't like to discuss the Calment theory, but you're right that when it's one person who he's claiming swapped identities, it seems plausible. But when he's claiming that all these people swapped identities, it just gets ridiculous. He actually claimed that most of the women 115 and above and most of the men 113 and above had a potential identity swap, but I only included the ones I read. I realize now that his theories are way out there. His theory on Kimura was of extremely poor taste. As if an 85 year old sick patient would choose to take on his 90 year old brother's identity. Ridiculous that he would even suggest such a theory he factual.

RE: Zak's Proposals

AQ — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 21:48:41 +0000

@jimjim00 Case closed. Walter Breuning had no possibility of an identity switch. His bone structure was way too different from his brother's.