Re: JOHANSEN ON PBS
Mike Spencer (jms237@email.psu.edu)
Mon, 24 Jul 1995 07:28:24 GMT
>>NE>The only point where views got any indication that there was a debate
>>NE>in paleoanthropology was the discussion of the Origin of Modern Homo
>>NE>sapiens. Interestingly in this debate, Milford Wolpoff was not
>>NE>mentioned or shown.
>>Perhaps he refused?
>You don't know Milford Wolpoff. Basically anyone who holds an opinion
>about human evolution that clashes with Johanson's was not on that
>program at all.
>>NE>To me, Johanson represents much of what I think is wrong with
>>NE>paleoanthropology. There is too much adovocacy. Too much politics
>>NE>in terms of who has access to fossils for study. To much "Look at me,
>>NE>I'm Mr. Bigshot Anthropologist" in the NOVA series, which is I believe
>>NE>one of the reasons Johanson's Institute for Human Origins lost a lot
>>NE>of funding.
>>Getting funding is the name of the game, isn't it? And Johansen cuts a
>>handsome figure on TV, so I suspect more funding will be forthcoming.
>No, funding is not the name of the game. Good science is the name of
>the game and while funding is need to do good science funding doesn't
>guarantee good science. There is a lot of good research being done by
>people who are just not self promoters.
I agree, but Wolpoff and Thorn's views were presented in TLC's PaleoWorld.
There was also a mention of the fact that most of the important fossils are
controled by relatively few people.
Mike Spencer
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