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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 05/12/2005 : 03:54:56
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To say that I am shocked and appalled is an understatement. Jack Horner, it seems, has sold out to the corporations; notably Hollywood.
quote:
Communicating science to the public? More like an advertising blitz.
Sad to say, I'm not being metaphorical.
I nearly drove off the road this morning listening to this story on Morning Edition about the ways ads (especially for Hollywood movies) are permeating more bits of our lives. This general thesis does not surprise me in the least. (For the record, the studio marketing folks are upfront that this is what they're doing. Serves us right for fast-forwarding through the commercials.)
The part that really raised my ire was the story's poster boy for just how far the imbedded advertising has gone, Jack Horner, the Curator for Paleontology at the Museum of the Rockies. Horner has been a consultant for the Jurassic Park movies. I'm actually glad they hired a professional here (especially since most of Michael Crichton's scientific expertise, apparently, is in climate science). But, it turns out, Universal Studios wanted more than just information about dinosaurs from Horner. They also wanted hype. And, seeing as how they gave Horner "a nice tidy sum" (in Horner's own words), they got it. Horner was part of a team that had discovered remains of a really big Tyrannosaurus Rex, and he agreed to delay announcement of the discovery to coincide with the release of the third Jurassic Park movie. Indeed, he didn't just delay the announcement -- he agreed to fudge the discovery date by several weeks to coincide with the press build-up to the movie's release.
Now, on the surface it looks like no big deal but if he'll fudge a few dates for cash, it cheapens his once spotless reputation enough that other discoveries might become suspect.
And now I begin to wonder exactly how many other 'advances' in science were brought forth at the whim of the highest bidder. Of course, being human, some scientists can be bought and sold like merchandise, but it's something I'd not thought much about until now.
My disappointment in Horner, one of the icons of paolentology, is huge.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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bloody_peasant
Skeptic Friend
USA
139 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2005 : 05:25:36 [Permalink]
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Yep I heard this too :<, I think I'll send an email to Horner saying his explanation that date of discovery isn't that important isn't a sufficient explanation :<. I was highly disappointed, I know he like any scientist needs cash badly for research, but scientific integrity is a more important issue :<.
Edited to fix broken sentence >:-D |
| Edited by - bloody_peasant on 05/12/2005 05:26:17 |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2005 : 13:22:56 [Permalink]
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From the NPR interview, I suspect Horner would claim that he maintains his scientific integrity simply by saying he would never misrepresent (or lie, your choice) the date of a discovery in a scientific journal. And since popular treatments of scientific discoveries often lack or fudge details in favor of a broad understanding, and the date of a dinosaur discovery is largely inconsequential to the science regarding the fossil, he'd have a point.
Some folks over at Panda's Thumb appear to be going overboard, however, saying Horner should be "hung out to dry," despite all his elite work in the past (and hopefully in the future). Someone there was good enough to point out Thomas Holtz' view of the whole thing, which is that the blow-up over this is more the fault of the NPR reporter. And it would seem that Horner didn't lie about the discovery date, but just delayed his announcement of the discovery.
After reading these things, I'd have to agree with those who suggest that the worst thing about this situation is that it's going to be used (and abused) by the anti-science crowd (especially creationists) as a case in which a scientist lied for cash.
But is that Horner's fault? |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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H. Humbert
SFN Die Hard
USA
4574 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2005 : 13:29:16 [Permalink]
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Yeah, originally I didn't think it was that big a deal, however this quote from Horner drew my concern: "You can go to the (popular) press with anything and they'll publish it."
I think that's a unscrupulous way of saying that journalists had the audacity to trust him. Well, probably not any longer.
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"A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true." --Demosthenes
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool." --Richard P. Feynman
"Face facts with dignity." --found inside a fortune cookie |
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