Nexus - 0504 - New Times Magazine-pages

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tions" and that such things are very common, grooves and all. But when I challenged them to send me pictures or specimens of round metallic concretions with grooves running around their equators, none could do it. tions" and that such things are very common, grooves and all. But "Iam amazed that NBC [will] show this program again as sci- when I challenged them to send me pictures or specimens of ence, when a proper scientific presentation of the same issues round metallic concretions with grooves running around their would be both beneficial and entertaining to its viewers. As [you equators, none could do it. are] its writer and director, I can appreciate your desire to use our objections to promote it once again. It is, however, a pathetic way f the scientific community in America was outraged when the to make a buck, when honesty is so much better and [more] prof- [rece was first shown, you can imagine their reaction when _itable." they saw the following headlines from an Internet press release As far is honesty is concerned, I hope no one will be deceived from NBC, dated 29 May 1996: "Controversy Surrounds The that it was anything other than the anti-Darwinian message of The Mysterious Origins of Man... University Profs Want Special Mysterious Origins of Man that provoked such intense reactions Banned from the Airwaves... Program that Dares to Challenge from Lipps and others. They did object to the theories presented. Accepted Beliefs about Pre-Historic Man will be Rebroadcast Also, the show provided a very good description of how science June 8 on NBC". Amazingly, NBC was using the objections of (the fundamentalist Darwinian part of it, anyway) really does the scientists to promote another broadcast of the show! work in practice. Fundamentalist Darwinians do unfairly try to The text of the press release stated: "NBC's The Mysterious prevent serious discussion of controversial evidence. Origins of Man sparked heated controversy within the academic On the same day he sent his letter to Bill Cote, Lipps made this community when originally broadcast February 25, 1996, and will general appeal to scientists: "NBC is now proposing to reshow be rebroadcast on Saturday, June 8 (8-9 pm ET). Professors of _ their scientific travesty, The Mysterious Origins of Man, using the science and anthropology from some of the nation's most presti- objections of the scientific community as a selling point. This is a gious colleges and universities voiced strong opinions about some major disservice to the general public and misrepresentation of of the theories in the special, which challenged long-accepted the majority of the scientists' objections... If you are worried beliefs about man's beginnings. The pro- about science in America, tell gram presented startling evidence suggest- your local NBC station, NBC ing that man may have made the climb "The program presented startling and its various sponsors that you from Stone Age to civilization more than ; H object to the portrayal of this once; that present-day man is just the lat- evidence suggesting that man may program as science. America est in this cycle, and that Darwin's Theory have made the climb from Stone must get smart and we can make of Evolution has serious flaws." Age to civilization more than a difference." Producer Bill Cote was quoted in the Others proposed boycotts, as NBC press release as follows: "Our goal once; that present-day man is just shown in this Internet message was simply to present the public with evi- the latest in this cycle and that posted to Internet discussion 3 dence which suggests an alternative view . . groups for archaeologists and ° some of our most accepted theories. Darwin's Theory of Evolution Beane a uy «. wood on e questioned fundamental issues that . " ay : "Anybody know they [some scientists] felt should not be has serious flaws. who the sponsors are? I would questioned. The bottom line is, the world like to get an early start boy- is bigger than scientists can explain, and cotting them. There's always the some of them want us to believe they can explain everything. offchance that some of them will pull their sponsorship." Still "We expected some controversy when we produced this show," others proposed pressuring the executives of General Electric, the Cote continued, "but no one was prepared for the enormous cry of | company that owns NBC. outrage from members of the scientific community. While many Ten or 20 years ago, the campaign of intimidation waged by viewers, including some scientists, praised the production as a Lipps and other fundamentalist Darwinians in the scientific com- great accomplishment and contributing to public education, many munity would have been sufficient to keep NBC from airing the scientists expressed outrage and criticism." program again or force NBC to let a fundamentalist Darwinian Dr Jere H. Lipps, a palaeontologist at the University of commentator dictate to the public how they should see the show. California at Berkeley, wrote by e-mail to producer Bill Cote on That NBC had the courage to stand up to the intimidation and the 30 May 1996 (sending copies to various scientific discussion audacity to use the protests from the fundamentalist Darwinians to groups on the Internet): "I appreciate the advance notice of your —_— promote the rebroadcast of the unchanged original show to the press release about the reshowing of The Mysterious Origins of public is a refreshing sign that intellectual freedom is alive and Man. Can you please provide me a list of the news organizations well in America. you sent your release to? As you expected, I am appalled that you But representatives of orthodox science did not see things that and NBC would once again represent that program as the way sci- way. They thought NBC should be severely punished for daring ence in America is done. It does not do you, NBC or the sponsors to air the show a second time. any honor whatsoever. It indicates to scientists a large degree of On 17 June 1996, Dr Allison R. Palmer, president of the ignorance about how science works. You seem to think that sci- Institute for Cambrian Studies, wrote to the Federal entists object to the theories presented. Not in most cases, Communications Commission, the government agency that grants because everything in the program has been dealt with by legiti- licences to television broadcasting companies: "This e-mail is a mate science already. You misrepresent the process of science— request for the FCC to investigate and, I hope, seriously censure that is quite a different and detrimental thing. I can always the National Broadcasting Company for crassly commercial, irre- straighten out bad ideas with my students, but trying to teach them sponsible journalism that seriously violates the trust the public an intelligent way to live their lives in this scientific society is should have in materials that are touted as credible by a major net- very difficult when TV promotes a fraudulent view of how sci- Continued on page 88 ence works. 70 * NEXUS JUNE - JULY 1998