Percy
But whatever he was doing, it certainly couldn't be described as following the evidence. What was going on in his head? Does anyone know?
Hard to read the intentions of another without knowing them but he did suffer attack by Richard Feynman { apparently a dressing down by Feynman was not one to be relished} at one seminar on quasars and another by Stephen Hawking {then a PhD student} concerning the expansion of the universe. His pet theory turned out to be unsupported by the evidence so it is possible that his ego had taken a beating his was not willing to get over and sought some other way to make his voice heard.
This is but one possible way that I concur is probably incorrect.