Tomorrow night, watch Spencer Tracy argue in defense of evolution.
For readers in the DC area, tomorrow night at 7pm, the NIH Office of Science Education and the American Film Institute are teaming up to sponsor a screening of Inherit the Wind as part of their summer film series "Science in the Cinema."
Following the film, I have been invited to make a few remarks on the evolution debate as it plays out in contemporary culture and the enduring themes from the classic movie. The event and film series is designed to facilitate active audience participation and debate, so I expect there will be some very interesting discussion. For more on the relevant themes related to science and public engagement, see this forthcoming article on "What's Next for Science Communication?"
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The obverse of inherit the wind, brought to you by the Discovery Institute, is Expelled, with Ben Stein in the leading, sympathetic role.
Actually, today's ITW is the DVD of the Dover Trial, with Judge Jones in ST's role.
Posted by: Don | July 29, 2009 11:42 AM
Hi, Matthew.
Just came from the program at AFI.
Did have one question cross my mind: Do you think it would have made any difference if Darwin had kept the tree "right side up" i.e. instead of referring to the "Descent of Man" (from the apes) he had referred to the "Ascent of Man"?
Also, I read a really great consideration on the "levels of consciousness" in E.F. Schumacher's "A Guide for the Perplexed" - one of my "Top Ten Books Under 200 Pages". Are you familiar with it?
Thanks again for your presentation.
Peace,
Lori
Posted by: Lori | July 30, 2009 12:58 AM
It is wonderful to see that NIH is hosting the “Science in Cinema” series. The representation and misrepresentation of science on film has a long and vivid history that has shaped public understanding of science. I recently made a documentary film in which I tried to expose the inner workings of a science lab – a Biochemistry lab at Columbia University to be precise. In order to make a film that people would respond to, I had to capture the drama inherent in research, but without the tedium of most documentaries, or the clichés so typical of science fiction. At the onset of the film’s production, my hypothesis was that in one dynamic laboratory, with a young and still evolving professor and a cohort of interesting graduate students, we could observe the transformation of the novice into an independent scientist, highlighting the factors that make it happen – commitment, selecting a worthwhile problem, mastering technology, mentoring, collaborating, and dealing with competition. It took four years to create a film that adequately portrays this complex process. For more information about the film, go to http://naturallyobsessed.com/blog/category/science-on-film
Posted by: Richard Rifkind | July 30, 2009 4:31 PM
I agree with Lori's comment -- Darwin's phrasing of "descent" is a poor choice and loaded. In modern times, I bet Darwin would have had a PR rep that cleaned that title up and set him straight ;-).
Posted by: Kathy J, Washington Gardener Mag | July 30, 2009 7:25 PM
Hi Lori,
It's an interesting observation, but I don't have a good answer on what it's impact might be.
Thoughts from other readers?
--Matt
Posted by: Matthew C. Nisbet | July 30, 2009 8:05 PM
Thanks, Kathy and Matthew.
I wonder though if Darwin was not speaking from his own cultural bias and time. There were certainly strong religious beliefs abounding (which still do in some quarters) that basically said: In spite of our extraordinary capacites (or, at least the degree to which we could/can express them) relative to other non-humans, as "human beings" we were/are STILL not as "ascended" as "God Almighty" and so still "descended" from that level of "spiritual superiority"; i.e. ALL beings "lower" than "God" have obviously "descended", including humans.
I wonder though, if there is something to be said for a "full circle" event going on here; i.e. Divine Consciousness "descending" into material form only to evolve that form to such a degree that Divine Consciousness (as non-separate, egoless, Self-Awareness) can once again be fully Realized, ultimately through the mechanism of the human body-mind?
In that case there would be both - Descent and Ascent going on here, except that most human beings haven't quite "pulled out of the dive" yet, their "points of view" still being focused on and limited to the "descent" part... ? : ))
Posted by: Lori | July 31, 2009 7:19 PM