The debate will be released on Seattle Weekly's video channel within a few days- along with a write-up in SW's blog I imagine. I have my own cellphone video of the debate, but it's predictably poor. If I feel SW's video is edited in such a way that takes my comments out of context, I'll upload it.
Overall, I think it went well. I was a bit nervous at first, I think I flubbed my intro, but otherwise I think I represented NIST's science fairly well.
Salient points I made:
1) Kurt does not understand structural mechanics, therefore he is unqualified to assert the NIST's science is flawed.
2) If NIST was wrong/lied about WTC7, it does not mean CD occurred.
3) FFA does not necessarily mean CD
4) Shiyam Sunder was NOT incorrect when he said that WTC7 did not fall at FFA in the draft report hearing.
5) Free fall acceleration ALSO occurs when the net resistance is overcome by the mass
6) There is no working "controlled demotions" hypothesis
7) If Mr Benshoof further feels that FFA that occurred in WTC7 is CD, he should learn the fundementals of structural mechanics, write a white paper and submit it for review instead of harranging journalists and other scientific laypeople to explain it to him.
I am not naive- I did not expect to get $1,000 from him- this is a stunt by a 9/11 Truth activist who wants to 'say' a question instead of 'asking' one. I did this because I felt if I let the challenge go unanswered it would only feed speculation that NIST's science was indefensible and therefore suspect. I did not expect to change Kurt's mind- but to highlight the numerious weakness in his argument and his lack of education in structural mechancs. I had orginally planned on being very polite and accomodating- indeed that's one of the hallmarks of how I lead Seattle Skeptics, until I get an email from him offering his "condolences" on me accepting task I could never win and that he planned to "expose me for the skeptical fraud that I am". So if at any point you wonder why I'm being a d*bag, understand I've got that email simmering in my mind.
While I have done a fair amount of research on my own, I have you guys (Oystein, Ryan Mackey, Orphia Nay, Chris Mohr, Alien Entity to name a few) at the JREF forum to thank for educating me and sharpening my understanding of the flaws of AE911Truth and David Ray Griffin. If you ever wonder if your efforts have fallen on deaf ears, I assure you many skeptics stand on your shoulders when they engage the 911 Truth Community.
Curtis Cartier will email me when the video is posted- I promise to post the link here when he does so.
-Case