States of Fear: Science or Politics? with Michael Crichton

States of Fear: Science or Politics? SAMPLE

Featuring: Michael Crichton and a Panel of Distinguished Scientists

At one time, both the pseudoscientific geocentric notion of the universe (that the Earth lies at the center of the solar system) and eugenics (the racial theory to "purify" the human race) were widely accepted by leaders in science, politics, journalism, and business.

Such theories were pushed by powerful interest groups that possessed highly politicized agendas driving government policies and public opinion, until ultimately both theories were disproved. Is environmental debate today, including global warming, bio-technology, and other issues, based on science or politics? Are popular accounts of such issues rooted in science or phantom risks? Are government policies focusing on the trivial while ignoring the real, and in the process wasting limited resources, crippling human innovation to address true dangers, and inviting tyranny?

In discussing not just environmental issues but the increasing politicization of science itself, best-selling author Michael Crichton examines the intersection of media, politics, and science, inspiring viewers to challenge old assumptions and to search beneath the surface of issues as they seek to discover the truth.

Scientists Bruce Ames (U.C. Berkeley), Sallie Baliunas (Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), William Gray (Colorado State U.), and Oregon State Climatologist George Taylor show how scientific debates have been politicized by appealing to the fears of an uninformed public.

http://www.independent.org/store/events/crichton.asp
http://www.lfb.com/index.php?deptid=19276&parentid=54&stocknumber=EN9089

Read text versions of Dr. Crichtons speeches at:

http://www.michaelcrichton.net/speeches/index.html

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• science
• scientific
• method
• global
• warming
• politics
• politicized
• environmentalism
• Michael
• Crichton

[BillNeilan]

God Bless Michael Crichton. A great voice for reason has left us.

[Guest3782]

Chrichton was a good guy and a great author. Too bad he's gone.

By the way, State of Fear is an excellent book, and incredibly informative.

[melbyRick]

Maybe this is off-topic, but was anyone else severely disappointed with his new book, 'Pirate Latitudes'?

[BadHabit202]

No man has done what Crichton has done. Doctor, writer, producer, director (decent attempt), philosopher.......but most importantly he stuck with what he believed in, science.

[MegaPostman77]

In response to the comment below, can you prove the theory of antropogenic global warming using empiricial evidence? (P.S. not Computer-models). Can you prove that UFOs do not exist somewhere in the universe or some possible time-line or alternate universe? Can you prove that Eyptians built the Pyramids? After all, you can't take me back in time to see these things unravel in front of my very eyes! I would suggest to you - the first step to knowledge is the admission of ignorance!

[toshzpelta]

@Sidewinder77 Look it up on Google, I think they have the whole thing.

[TheEyesOfNye]

Theism

Ufology

Geocentrism

Egyptians did Not build the pyramids

Global warming / Climate change denial

Evil spirits cause sicknesses

spontaneous generation

Evolution is a lie

If you subscribe to any of these, please grow up and join us in the year 2010.

[lurkerhermit]

they murdered him and made it look like natural causes

[TheReboundingHeart]

Michael was special...I miss his smile and his books :(

[markbotv3]

2.5L deisel? sheeesh no wonder the brits think american cars suck...theyve never driven a proper one. do me a favor go to the SSC ULTIMATE ARROW site and say what you just said to me there.

[aiyic]

The Veyron is a rare super-car for the mega-rich (costing about 1mEuro), so is not really one for making an arguement with as it's such an exception to the rule - you'd be lucky to ever see one. I haven't! Average American cars and pick-up exports are stifled by their engine size; only ones that can be sold with a smaller diesel engine (2.5 ish) make it through.

My main issue with you was that Germany doesn't have leaded-only engines - that was incorrect - they have the same as the rest of us.