"My first feeling about the paper and the attitude is that it is absurd"

Arthur Holly Compton's quote recommends that he finds the paper and the attitude it conveys to be outrageous. He likely believes that the paper is not based on sound reasoning or proof, and that the mindset it expresses is not affordable or rational. He may also be indicating that the paper is unworthy considering or taking seriously. Compton's quote indicates that he is not impressed with the paper or the mindset it conveys, and that he finds it to be unreasonable. This could be due to the fact that he thinks that the paper is not well-researched or considered, or because he disagrees with the mindset it expresses. Whatever the factor, Compton's quote recommends that he discovers the paper and the mindset it communicates to be outrageous.