Bill Wattenburg
Encyclopedia
Willard Harvey Wattenburg (born February 9, 1936), better known as Dr. Bill Wattenburg or Dr. Bill, is an inventor, scientist
, author
, and radio talk show host residing in the Sierra Nevada region of California
. Advertisements for his show often refer to him as "The Smartest Man in the World."
, and raised in the forests of Plumas County
, Wattenburg grew up working with his father in the logging business. His scientific talent was discovered by a teacher, who encouraged him to apply to several schools, including the University of California, Berkeley
where he completed his first year with honors. After his freshman year, Wattenburg moved back to assist his father in his business, and graduated from California State University, Chico
, summa cum laude
in physics
and electrical engineering
. He then returned to Berkeley for his doctorate in electrical engineering, completing it in three years, and worked at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
and as a professor at Berkeley until 1970. After that, he was a consultant to various engineering and defense-oriented businesses. He remains a consultant to the Livermore Laboratory.
system, including such flaws as easily decipherable fare cards (which could have fare value fraudulently added to them), trains that would not show up on the computer screen, and other deficiencies. He has published numerous articles in scientific journals and continues to do research as an adjunct professor at California State University, Chico.
or folk technology.
in California, Wattenburg orchestrated mountaintop removal mining to get at the gold beneath an entire mountain in Plumas County.
In a 1992 interview with a private investigator
that a television network hired in the course of a due diligence
investigation, Wattenburg admitted utilizing such mining practices. The investigator reported:
from San Francisco on KGO
, AM 810 kHz. On the program, Wattenburg takes calls from throughout the Western United States. Wattenburg claims the program is the most listened-to radio program in the western United States in that time slot. On the show, he answers questions about science, talks about politics, current events, and discusses some of his ideas. Some of his recurring topics are whether premium gasoline is worthwhile, nuclear power
, and criticism of the environmental movement. He is well known for his distinctive, low voice and especially enjoys taking calls from children who ask him basic scientific questions of the Why is the sky blue? variety. He is a strong supporter of former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
and former president George W. Bush
.
, a chemical industry waste product added to gasoline with the purported aim of minimizing pollutants from automobiles. Additionally, he frequently discusses his support for American-made automobiles, arguing that the performance of such cars rivals that of equivalent foreign cars. He has criticized Consumers Union
for alleged bias. As well, Wattenburg is known for his impatience with callers who insist on arguing a point without sufficient facts. He is generally considered a conservative
, however, he adheres to some traditionally liberal positions on a handful of social issues, such as abortion
.
Wattenburg expresses strong support for nuclear power
and disdain for the Sierra Club
and the environmental movement
, supporters of which he calls eco-freaks, eco-frauds or eco-nuts.
on American streets and within American homes for law enforcement purposes, once remarking to a San Francisco Chronicle reporter, in regard to high urban violence in Oakland, California, "Our troops are going house to house removing weapons in Bosnia. Why not use them to do that in West Oakland or South Central Los Angeles?"
, earned him millions of dollars. It was published under the pseudonym
Will Harvey; the book has long been out of print.
films: The Dead Pool
(Nolan Kennard), Pink Cadillac (pit boss), and True Crime
(radio reporter).
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, and radio talk show host residing in the Sierra Nevada region of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Advertisements for his show often refer to him as "The Smartest Man in the World."
Early life
Born in Chico, CaliforniaChico, California
Chico is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States. The population was 86,187 at the 2010 census, up from 59,954 at the time of the 2000 census...
, and raised in the forests of Plumas County
Plumas County, California
Plumas County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U.S. state of California. The county gets its name from the Spanish words for the Feather River , which flows through the county. As of the 2010 census, the population 20,007, down from 20,824 at the 2000 census...
, Wattenburg grew up working with his father in the logging business. His scientific talent was discovered by a teacher, who encouraged him to apply to several schools, including the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
where he completed his first year with honors. After his freshman year, Wattenburg moved back to assist his father in his business, and graduated from California State University, Chico
California State University, Chico
California State University, Chico is the second-oldest campus in the twenty-three-campus California State University system. It is located in Chico, California, about ninety miles north of Sacramento...
, summa cum laude
Latin honors
Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. This system is primarily used in the United States, Canada, and in many countries of continental Europe, though some institutions also use the English translation of these...
in physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
. He then returned to Berkeley for his doctorate in electrical engineering, completing it in three years, and worked at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory , just outside Livermore, California, is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center founded by the University of California in 1952...
and as a professor at Berkeley until 1970. After that, he was a consultant to various engineering and defense-oriented businesses. He remains a consultant to the Livermore Laboratory.
Scientist
As a scientist, Wattenburg discovered many of the original problems with the Bay Area Rapid TransitBay Area Rapid Transit
Bay Area Rapid Transit is a rapid transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area. The heavy-rail public transit and subway system connects San Francisco with cities in the East Bay and suburbs in northern San Mateo County. BART operates five lines on of track with 44 stations in four counties...
system, including such flaws as easily decipherable fare cards (which could have fare value fraudulently added to them), trains that would not show up on the computer screen, and other deficiencies. He has published numerous articles in scientific journals and continues to do research as an adjunct professor at California State University, Chico.
Businessman
As an inventor, Wattenburg has eight patents to his credit, one being the first home alarm system using electrical wiring for its communication medium. Many of his ideas, such as using flatbed rail cars as temporary bridges, unenergized electric water heaters for storage of emergency potable water, and converting plow blades into minesweepers are deceptively simple, variants of prior artPrior art
Prior art , in most systems of patent law, constitutes all information that has been made available to the public in any form before a given date that might be relevant to a patent's claims of originality...
or folk technology.
Mountaintop removal mine
In the 1980s Wattenburg set up his own gold mining corporation, "Wattexco". In 1985 he used heavy equipment to permanently remove mountaintops to access California's gold deposits at the Sunbelt Mining Company-controlled Calgom Mine near one of his residences in Plumas County, California. In contrast to the historic practice of gold panningGold panning
Gold panning, or simply panning, is a form of placer mining that extracts gold from a placer deposit using a pan. The process is one of the simplest ways to extract gold, and is popular with geology enthusiasts because of its cheap cost and the relatively simple and easy process involved. It is the...
in California, Wattenburg orchestrated mountaintop removal mining to get at the gold beneath an entire mountain in Plumas County.
In a 1992 interview with a private investigator
Private investigator
A private investigator , private detective or inquiry agent, is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private detectives/investigators often work for attorneys in civil cases. Many work for insurance companies to investigate suspicious claims...
that a television network hired in the course of a due diligence
Due diligence
"Due diligence" is a term used for a number of concepts involving either an investigation of a business or person prior to signing a contract, or an act with a certain standard of care. It can be a legal obligation, but the term will more commonly apply to voluntary investigations...
investigation, Wattenburg admitted utilizing such mining practices. The investigator reported:
Radio talk show host
Since 1972, Wattenburg has been the host of The Open Line to the West Coast, a talk show heard late Saturday and Sunday evenings 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. PTPacific Time Zone
The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time . The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time of the 120th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. During daylight saving time, its time offset is UTC-7.In the United States...
from San Francisco on KGO
KGO (AM)
KGO is a news/talk-format radio station radio with offices and studios in San Francisco, California. Unlike most other American news/talk stations, KGO originates nearly all of its own programming locally. Since 1978, KGO radio has received Arbitron's number-one ranking in the Bay Area...
, AM 810 kHz. On the program, Wattenburg takes calls from throughout the Western United States. Wattenburg claims the program is the most listened-to radio program in the western United States in that time slot. On the show, he answers questions about science, talks about politics, current events, and discusses some of his ideas. Some of his recurring topics are whether premium gasoline is worthwhile, nuclear power
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
, and criticism of the environmental movement. He is well known for his distinctive, low voice and especially enjoys taking calls from children who ask him basic scientific questions of the Why is the sky blue? variety. He is a strong supporter of former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
and former president George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
.
Political views
"Dr. Bill" is known to have impatience for ideas he believes contradict scientific fact. For example, he has long railed against the use of MTBEMethyl tert-butyl ether
Methyl tert-butyl ether, also known as methyl tertiary butyl ether and MTBE, is an organic compound with molecular formula 3COCH3. MTBE is a volatile, flammable, and colorless liquid that is immiscible with water. It has a minty odor vaguely reminiscent of diethyl ether, leading to unpleasant taste...
, a chemical industry waste product added to gasoline with the purported aim of minimizing pollutants from automobiles. Additionally, he frequently discusses his support for American-made automobiles, arguing that the performance of such cars rivals that of equivalent foreign cars. He has criticized Consumers Union
Consumers Union
Consumers Union is a non-profit organization best known as the publisher of Consumer Reports, based in the United States. Its mission is to "test products, inform the public, and protect consumers."...
for alleged bias. As well, Wattenburg is known for his impatience with callers who insist on arguing a point without sufficient facts. He is generally considered a conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
, however, he adheres to some traditionally liberal positions on a handful of social issues, such as abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
.
Wattenburg expresses strong support for nuclear power
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
and disdain for the Sierra Club
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
and the environmental movement
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
, supporters of which he calls eco-freaks, eco-frauds or eco-nuts.
Firearms confiscation
Wattenburg has openly suggested having standing armiesStanding army
A standing army is a professional permanent army. It is composed of full-time career soldiers and is not disbanded during times of peace. It differs from army reserves, who are activated only during wars or natural disasters...
on American streets and within American homes for law enforcement purposes, once remarking to a San Francisco Chronicle reporter, in regard to high urban violence in Oakland, California, "Our troops are going house to house removing weapons in Bosnia. Why not use them to do that in West Oakland or South Central Los Angeles?"
Author
As an author, Wattenburg has written two books for the general public: one book, Best Jokes From Talk Radio, is a compilation of risque jokes heard on talk radio; his second book, How to Find and Fascinate a Mistress, is a fictionalized version of Wattenburg's exploits with young women in the 1970s. The book, which set him up as a male antidote to the feminism of Gloria SteinemGloria Steinem
Gloria Marie Steinem is an American feminist, journalist, and social and political activist who became nationally recognized as a leader of, and media spokeswoman for, the women's liberation movement in the late 1960s and 1970s...
, earned him millions of dollars. It was published under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Will Harvey; the book has long been out of print.
Marriage and family
Wattenburg is married to his third wife, Carol Wattenburg, 28 years his junior. They have two daughters; Wattenburg also has three children from a previous marriage.Appearance in films
Wattenburg has made brief appearances in three Clint EastwoodClint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
films: The Dead Pool
The Dead Pool
The Dead Pool is a 1988 American action thriller film about the manipulation of a "dead pool" game by a serial killer, whose efforts are foiled by a hardened detective. It is the fifth and final film in the Dirty Harry series, set in San Francisco, California and starring Clint Eastwood as...
(Nolan Kennard), Pink Cadillac (pit boss), and True Crime
True Crime (1999 film)
True Crime is a 1999 American mystery drama film directed by Clint Eastwood, and based on Andrew Klavan's 1997 novel of the same name. Eastwood also stars in the film as a journalist covering the execution of a death row inmate, only to discover that the convict may actually be innocent.-Plot:Steve...
(radio reporter).
External links
- www.kgoam810.com — Dr. Bill Wattenburg's KGO web page
- www.wattenburg.us — Dr. Bill Wattenburg's personal site
- www.pushback.com — Background report on Dr. Wattenburg
- San Francisco Chronicle profile