Why are scientists filing lawsuits against their critics?

Scientific disputes traditionally have been settled by time and experiment, but lately researchers are using the judicial system to resolve what appear to be fundamentally scientific issues, or to defend themselves against critiques of their work. The latest such case was filed by Mark Jacobson, a climatologist at Stanford University, who wants $10 million from the first author and publisher of a recent critique of his work.
Jacobson’s paper, which he co-wrote with colleagues, was called &