The AMQUA (American Quaternary Association, bet you didn't know that) takes AAPG (American Association of Petroleum Geologists) to task for giving Crichton its journalism award for State of Fear, with the laughable assertion that "It is fiction, but it has the absolute ring of truth". The award says more about what petroleum geologists would like to be true than it does about reality; its nice to see AMQUA standing up against this nonsense.
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Much has been made of a good-journalism award handed by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists to Michael Crichton for his science-fiction novel, State of Fear. I wrote back in pre-Scienceblog days that the AAPG had gone off the deep end by confusing a bad novel with a "notable…
Not only did they give a journalism award to Michael Crichton for State of Fear. Now, the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) is asking its members to comment on a draft "card" stating the group's position on climate change that is designed to be given out to the general public.…
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"State of Fear is mostly a blend of Scooby-Doo and The Lone Ranger." What else is there to say?
We.e.e.e.e.lllll .... it wouldn't be the _first_ effort along these lines:
http://www.jonhs.net/freemovies/destination_earth.htm
Destination Earth (1956)
"The American Petroleum Institute presents "Destination Earth" Color by Technicolor... The cartoon begins by establishing the planet Mars, ruled by a dictator named Ogg. ... they hear his criticisms of problems with martian ground transportation -- no good fuel and too much friction.
A single martian is sent to Earth to find a solution.
The intrepid Martian crashes his saucer into a farm, sets forth into the city, learns about the glorious benefits of petroleum AND capitalist competition, steals a few library books, and heads back to Mars.
He excitedly reveals the truths he's learned to the crowd in the colliseum. The crowd is fueled by the spirit of capitalism and the dictatorship breaks down instantly, to be replaced by the Oil Pioneers, the Oil Explorers, and new management. And we learn that a future with oil and competition is Destination Unlimited. I enjoy John Sutherland's educational cartoons, but this one is really a work of art. .....
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"State of Fear is mostly a blend of Scooby-Doo and The Lone Ranger." What else is there to say?
Ruh-roh! Zoiks!
Sorry. Had to.
I'm sure RP Jr harrumphed when he read this reply, to which I can only say: more of this type of response please.
Best,
D