Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by clarkjohnsen (R) on June 17, 2006 at 08:39:23

In Reply to: Crichton? As in Jurrasic Park, Bush cheerleader Crichton? posted by Bruce Kendall on June 16, 2006 at 13:57:55:

From the speech headered below (substitute "global warming" for "nuclear winter"):

At the time, there was a concerted desire on the part of lots of people to avoid nuclear war. If nuclear winter looked awful, why investigate too closely? Who wanted to disagree? Only people like Edward Teller, the "father of the H bomb."

Teller said, "While it is generally recognized that details are still uncertain and deserve much more study, Dr. Sagan nevertheless has taken the position that the whole scenario is so robust that there can be little doubt about its main conclusions." Yet for most people, the fact that nuclear winter was a scenario riddled with uncertainties did not seem to be relevant.

I say it is hugely relevant. Once you abandon strict adherence to what science tells us, once you start arranging the truth in a press conference [or movie/cj], then anything is possible. In one context, maybe you will get some mobilization against nuclear war. But in another context, you get Lysenkoism. In another, you get Nazi euthanasia. The danger is always there, if you subvert science to political ends.

• http://www.crichton-official.com/speeches/speeches_quote04.html   (Open in New Window)