W E D N E S D A Y , J U L Y 2 0 , 2 0 0 5NYT Science Section: Another Botched Storyby Michael in New York on 7/20/2005 07:00:00 PMRecently, the New York Times Science section -- which I readreligiously -- trumpeted a study claiming bisexuality in menreally doesn't exist.</p><p> All those guys who say they're bi? Liars.What the story didn't tell you was that the study's seniorauthor had lost his prestigious university position as head ofdepartment on ethics charges, been investigated for a year anda half and was identified by the esteemed Southern PovertyLaw Center as being linked to hate groups.</p><p> He also saw noethical dilemma if parents aborted babies they believed weregoing to be gay.</p><p> In other words, eugenics.</p><p> Gee, think thatmight have colored our opinion of his study? No lettersobjecting to this article on that basis were run and noclarification about his suspect past ever appeared, to myknowledge.Now they've done it again.I was reading a fine article about the search for planets thatcould support life as we know it -- some say the conditions forearth are rare, but not that rare; others say it might beexceptionally unique and so on.</p><p> Then I read this:This would merely be an interesting academic argumentexcept for a film that is going around, and which I recentlyviewed, called "The Privileged Planet," which suggests thatthe Earth's nice qualities are no accident.The film, produced by Illustra Media in California, is basedon a book of the same name by Guillermo Gonzalez, anastronomer at Iowa State, and Jay W.</p><p> Richards, aphilosopher and vice president of the Discovery Institute inSeattle.It argues that Earth is so special and unlikely that it mustbe the work of an intelligent designer. "What if it's not acosmic lottery?" Dr.</p><p> Richards asks in the film.The Discovery Institute advocates "intelligent design," anotion that posits the intervention by a designer, whetherdivine or not, in the origin and history of life, as analternative to standard evolutionary biology.</p><p> Illustra Mediahas produced a series of videos in support of this idea.The showing of the film at the Smithsonian Museumof Natural History last month exacerbated the worries ofmany astronomers that the Big Bang would be next on thehit list of creationists.I was astonished.</p><p> Why would the Smithsonian show such a film? Whywould they give a platform to anti-science nuts like that? Were theydebunking it? Were they duped and didn't realize the nature of thefilm or the creationists who backed it? What was going on?Two seconds of googling and I had my answer: the creationistsreportedly had simply tried to rent out an auditorium for $16,000 andshown their film to themselves.</p><p> In fact, when the Smithsonian foundout they were pretending it had been shown by them, it was deeplyconcerned by this misleading claim.</p><p> Apparently, the Smithsonian hasa policy of not showing religious or political films, turned down thefee but felt obligated to let them use the auditorium anyway -- hardlyan endorsement of them by any standard.</p><p> It was a majorcontroversy, covered at length and a google or -- god forbid -- quickphone call to the Smithsonian would have prevented a bad error.And now the New York Times has blithely presented this lie as a fact.Even if it's clarified, the creationists will use this article and the liethat the Smithsonian somehow endorsed their pseudo-science.</p><p> Am I HuffPost PoliticsHuckabee's Huck Pac In Turmoil With StaffTurnover, Mounting Debts - Former Arkansas Gov.Mike Huckabee's political action committee, HuckPac, is undergoing a "restructuring," ExecutiveDirector Sarah Huckabee said Wednesday....30 minutes ago Ben SmithGoing small - My story tonight: President BarackObama came alive about 50 minutes intoWednesday night’s news conference – whensomebo52 minutes ago FiredoglakeLate Late Night FDL: What Eclipse? - A new videofrom Fatoumata Diawara, and and oldie from Bob.1 hour ago Daily KosOpen Thread and Diary Rescue - *Today, srkp23(pulling a double shift), ybruti, taylormattd,ItsJessMe and vcmvo2 combed through hundredsof diaries to find this powerful list.</p><p> Today's...1 hour ago EschatonOvernight - Folk On.</p><p> Newish.2 hours agoJ O H N ' S P H OT O S Show All AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: NYT S...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/nyt-science-section-anoth... 1 of 57/23/09 3:14 AMA M E R I C A B L O G T V Visit our AMERICAblog TV site.see all 323 videos >I collect with vodpod The Taco Bell dog hasdied In honor of SenatorDeMint For the GOPers, healthcare is politics.</p><p> They just Traditional media has todebunk the birthers One small step...</p><p> The right-wing media, thevoices of the GOP, inNext 6AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: NYT S...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/nyt-science-section-anoth... 2 of 57/23/09 3:14 AMThe TreatmentObama Has a Grown-UpTalk With America(Gulp)2 hours agoEzra KleinTab Dump6 hours agoWonk RoomSen.</p><p> Byron Dorgan:The ‘Trade’ InCap-And-Trade ‘MakesNo Sense To Me’7 hours agoHealth BeatTruth Squad: WallStreet Journal HealthCare Editorial Wrong onthe Facts . . .8 hours agoDaily DoseProviders Endorse 'Payfor Value' ProposalsG AY P O L I T I C S Visit our new gay politicssection, AMERICAblog Gay.F E E D S Blog RSS AMERICAblog TV RSS Twitter RSSTwitter Feed Get the blog by email: Subscribe me! Top AdAdvertise in this spot.H E A LT H C A R ER E F O R MAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: NYT S...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/nyt-science-section-anoth... 3 of 57/23/09 3:14 AMS E A R C H AMERICAblog Web SearchS E N D U S T I P S &C O M M E N T Samericablog@starpower.netB L O G A R C H I V E Blog ArchiveS I T E S W E L I K EAir America RadioAlan Colmes' blogAri Melber (The Nation)Ben SmithBicycleMark's blog &podcastBilericoBradBlogBring It OnCarrie FisherCrooks and LiarsDailyKosDan Savage's "Slog"Daou ReportDemocratic UndergroundEschatonEzra KleinFire Dog LakeFiveThirtyEight.comFreeway BloggerThe Gavel (SpeakerPelosi's blog)Good As YouGlenn GreenwaldHoly Bullies and HeadlessMonstersHuffington PostHullabaloo (Digby)Jack and Jill PoliticsJed ReportJesus' GeneralKenneth in the 212Margaret and HelenMatthew GrossMedia MattersMike Signorile's "The Gist"MudflatsMyDDOpen LeftPlum LinePolitical Punch (JakeTapper)Political WirePolitics 1Pop SurfingProgressive Blog DigestQueers UnitedRawStoryRex WocknerRude PunditSmirking ChimpTalk LeftTappedTaylor MarshThink ProgressTowleRoadVetVoice.comWashington NoteWayneBesen.comWonketteWorth Repeating N E W S L I N K SUSWashington PostNYTAP PoliticsReuters PoliticsRasmussen PollsTimeNewsweekRoll CallThe HillABCNews P L E A S E S U P P O RTA M E R I C A B L O GOne-time donation$ Recurring monthlydonation$ Donations are nottax-deductible.L A B E L S Select a labelL A S T 1 0 0 V I S I T O R SRecent Visitors A B O U TA M E R I C A B L O GWhy AMERICAblog?Because a great nationdeserves the truth.What issues do youcover?US politics overall with aparticular focus on theObama Administration, theradical right, and civilrights.Who are you?John AravosisEditorWashington, DCJoe SudbayDeputy EditorWashington, DCChris RyanAssociate EditorParis, FranceRobert ArenaContributing EditorBaltimore, MarylandJacki SchechnerContributing EditorWashington, DCAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: NYT S...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/nyt-science-section-anoth... 4 of 57/23/09 3:14 AM© 2009 - John Aravosis | Design maintenance by Jason RosenbaumSend me your tips: americablog@starpower.netAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: NYT S...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/nyt-science-section-anoth... 5 of 57/23/09 3:14 AM
