Nexus - 0504 - New Times Magazine-pages

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"At first we were told they could not make the time," wrote pro- humans coexisted with the dinosaurs, and that the scientific estab- ducer Bill Cote in a letter to me (26 August 1996). "We coun- lishment was suppressing the evidence." tered, saying we had plenty of time and could wait three or four Here are some samples of some of the ‘Internet indignation’ that months." Museum officials responded with a letter claiming they poured out from the scientific community, taken from a report had a shortage of staff and funds. The producers said they would _ released by B.C. Video on 4 March 1996: pay all the costs involved in bringing the artefacts out of storage "I think you should apologize publicly for this show. It was for filming, including overtime pay for the workers. The museum appalling... Frankly, you are either morons or liars..." (D.L., col- refused this offer. The producers continued to seek permission orado. edu) through various channels. "We patiently went all the way to the ",..the non-scientific public watching this drivel may be inclined head of publicity for the University," explained Bill Cote in his to actually believe it and to vote for politicians who also believe letter, "but it seems the museum director has final say, and she it." (J.K., New Mexico State University) said no." "It's all a bunch of hooey, and my recommendation is to stay "A similar situation occurred when we tried to obtain permis- away.” (B.D., Yale University) sion to film the pyramid complex at Teotihuacan, near Mexico "I recommend people write NBC and protest the presentation of City," wrote Bill Cote. "We approached, through proper chan- this show as a documentary." (AD, University of Texas at Austin) nels, the director of the site. He wanted us to promise that we "You should be banned from the airwaves." (J.J., ALCI would make no mention of UFOs or spacemen building the pyra- Why exactly did scientists react with such fury to The mid. | thought this was odd, but since that was not our intention, I Mysterious Origins of Man? One reason is control over the minds replied in all honesty that we would not imply this. Then he of students. demanded a copy of our full script. We had not yet written the The National Center for Science Education is dedicated to scene and told him so, but he insisted. keeping Darwinism a central concept in America's schools. In the "We spent a few hours and drafted a modest version which same Science article cited above, the president of the National included the theory of Hugh Harleston Center for Science Education com- Jr, a respected researcher, that the plained that the phones in the head- slope angle of one of the facets of the | TQ my knowledge, the broadcast quarters of his organisation were Pyramid of the Sun was aligned to the constantly ringing with calls from same degree of latitude as the location of The Mysterious Origins of Man science teachers who had difficulty of the pyramid itself in the northern by NBC in February of 1996 was answering questions from students hemisphere (an easily verifiable fact). who had seen The Mysterious In effect, the sunrise over the pyramid the first time in history that a Origins of Man. on the vernal equinox would cast a major American television Another concern that ppoted in shadow over this facet in an instant, F my study of hundreds of Interne thus making the whole pyramid a sort network had aired a program messages was the fear among scien- of giant clock. We were interested in challenging Darwinian tists that programs such as The demonstrating the advanced knowl- a oA Mysterious Origins of Man might edge of the ancients. But we were explanations of human origins. eventually result in public pressure denied permission to bring our cam- to decrease government funding of eras into the site or even to fly over in certain kinds of scientific research a helicopter, despite the fact that we were willing to pay all the supporting Darwinism. This concern is reflected in the message appropriate fees, had gone through both archeological channels above from J.K. and the Mexican film authority... The good old boys' network The reactions to The Mysterious Origins of Man extended by continues to hold a powerful control over information that threat- individual expressions of negative opinions to the producers. Dr ens to upset the established view." Jim Foley organised a letter campaign directed at the executives of NBC and the sponsors of the program, including Coca-Cola, r “Nhe knowledge filtration process, which began with the film- McDonalds, Olive Garden, Toyota, Chevron, Kelloggs, J.C. ing of The Mysterious Origins of Man, continued with even Penney, Honda, Wendy's, General Motors, LensCrafters, Folger's greater intensity when the program was shown to the pub- Coffee, and M&Ms Candy. lic. The anti-Darwin message of the show was the main reason A lot of the Internet messages among scientists were also heavi- why scientists reacted so angrily. To my knowledge, the broad- ly critical of Forbidden Archeology, which was featured in the cast of The Mysterious Origins of Man by NBC in February of show. But one participant in the Internet debate (D.T. Miller, 1 1996 was the first time in history that a major American television April 1996) noted: "It looks like most of the detractors haven't network had aired a program challenging Darwinian explanations read the book. Could someone please explain to me how anyone of human origins. This apparently caught the scientific communi- can pose a valid criticism of a book they haven't read? (Yes, I've ty by surprise. read the book.)" The surprise is evident in the following excerpt from an article Some of the Internet discussion regarding Forbidden in Science, a journal published for scientists by the American Archeology was related to the mysterious metallic, grooved Association for the Advancement of Science (8 March 1996, p. spheres found by miners in South Africa in mineral deposits over 1357): two billion years old. In the absence of any good explanation of "The claims of creationists—the young age of Earth, that fossils how such objects could have formed naturally, the possibility put the lie to the theory of evolution—routinely send biologists remains open that they are the product of some kind of human into fits. But those fits pale before the indignation spilling out, intelligence. Some of the spheres were shown on the NBC televi- mostly over the Internet, since Sunday evening, 25 February, sion program. when a major US television network ran a ‘special’ suggesting that On the Internet, scientists claimed they were natural "concre- ing of The Mysterious Origins of Man, continued with even greater intensity when the program was shown to the pub- lic. The anti-Darwin message of the show was the main reason why scientists reacted so angrily. To my knowledge, the broad- cast of The Mysterious Origins of Man by NBC in February of 1996 was the first time in history that a major American television network had aired a program challenging Darwinian explanations of human origins. This apparently caught the scientific communi- ty by surprise. The surprise is evident in the following excerpt from an article in Science, a journal published for scientists by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (8 March 1996, p. 1357): "The claims of creationists—the young age of Earth, that fossils put the lie to the theory of evolution—routinely send biologists into fits. But those fits pale before the indignation spilling out, mostly over the Internet, since Sunday evening, 25 February, when a major US television network ran a ‘special’ suggesting that T= knowledge filtration process, which began with the film- JUNE - JULY 1998 NEXUS - 69