“Any pop band is doing the same thing”

[scandal 951]

Is it a Missing Link, or is it a carnival style freak show? Methinks the latter......

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/19/business...&ei=5087%0A

Seeking a Missing Link, and a Mass Audience

By TIM ARANGO

Published: May 18, 2009

It is science for the Mediacene age.

On Tuesday morning, researchers will unveil a 47-million-year-old fossil they say could revolutionize the understanding of human evolution at a ceremony at the American Museum of Natural History.

But the event, which will coincide with the publishing of a peer-reviewed article about the find, is the first stop in a coordinated, branded media event, orchestrated by the scientists and the History Channel, including a film detailing the secretive two-year study of the fossil, a book release, an exclusive arrangement with ABC News and an elaborate Web site.

“Any pop band is doing the same thing,” said Jorn H. Hurum, a scientist at the University of Oslo who acquired the fossil and assembled the team of scientists that studied it. “Any athlete is doing the same thing. We have to start thinking the same way in science.”

The specimen, designated Darwinius masillae, is of a monkeylike creature that is remarkably intact: even the contents of its stomach are preserved. The fossil was bought two years ago in Germany by the University of Oslo, and a team of scientists began work on their research. Some of the top paleontologists in the world were involved in the project, and it impressed the chief scientist at the Natural History museum enough to allow the press conference.

“We would not go forward with this, even in a hosting capacity, unless we had a sense of the scientific importance,” said Michael J. Novacek, the provost of science at the museum.

But despite a television teaser campaign with the slogan “This changes everything” and comparisons to the moon landing and the Kennedy assassination, the significance of this discovery may not be known for years. An article to be published on Tuesday in PLoS ONE, a scientific journal, will report more prosaically that the scientists involved said the fossil could be a “stem group” that was a precursor to higher primates, with the caveat, “but we are not advocating this.”

All of this seems a departure from the normal turn of events, where researchers study their subject and publish their findings, and let the media chips fall where they may. But this campaign is only the latest example of the scientific media blockbuster, of which the National Geographic Society has become perhaps the most successful practitioner. It often gives grants to researchers, with National Geographic gaining the rights to produce television shows and magazine articles related to any discoveries.

And these kinds of publicity campaigns can backfire. In 2007, for example, the Discovery Channel ran a documentary called “The Lost Tomb of Jesus,” which had its share of detractors in the academic community.

Executives of A&E, which operates the History Channel, said they were mindful of that example, and were satisfied that the science behind the fossil discovery was solid. The media facets to the project began to coalesce last summer, when an A&E executive met in London with Anthony Geffen, a filmmaker and the chief executive of Atlantic Productions, who had been secretly working on the film with Mr. Hurum.

“I made the decision pretty close to on the spot,” said Abbe Raven, the chief executive of A&E Television Networks, which owns the History Channel. “Unearthing a piece of history like this is unbelievable. To do it on television is incredible.”

For almost a year, within the halls of A&E it was simply called “Project Y.” The company bought 51 percent of the film, giving it editorial control and the right to show the world premiere. (The film, a two-hour documentary, will be shown on Memorial Day on the History Channel.)

The BBC in Britain and ZDF, the German broadcaster, will show the film after the History Channel does. (A&E would not say what it paid for the film, but said it was the highest it had paid for a single documentary.)

A&E also took the project to the Natural History museum to arrange a big press conference, to be attended by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.

A&E executives also approached the ABC News president, David Westin, and brokered a deal for exclusive access to “Good Morning America” (Wednesday morning the fossil will be in the studio), “Nightline” and “World News”; they helped line up a publisher for a book, which like the film is called “The Link,” being published by Little, Brown. The publisher shipped 110,000 copies, and sellers signed confidentiality agreements promising not to open the cartons before the publication date.

“It’s the most newsworthy and noteworthy special we’ve been a part of,” said Nancy Dubuc, the general manager of the History Channel. “We made a commitment early on to get behind it in a big way: to see it through peer review, and see that it is the media event it should be.”

The project had its origins in December 2006 at a mineral and fossil fair in Hamburg, Germany, where Mr. Hurum ran into a private dealer who, over fruity vodka drinks with umbrellas, showed him an image of the fossil, which had been found in a pit in Germany and lain in a collector’s drawer for about 25 years.

“It was incredible,” he said. “I could not sleep for two nights, just thinking about this specimen.”

Mr. Hurum then assembled what he described as a dream team of experts to study the fossil: B. Holly Smith, a dental anthropologist at the University of Michigan; Jens Franzen, a German fossil expert; and Philip D. Gingerich, the leading American primate specialist, also from the University of Michigan.

“I sometimes felt like a banjo player jamming with Pink Floyd,” Mr. Hurum said.

Most parties involved were required to sign nondisclosure agreements, including the two companies that the History Channel approached to advertise during the film. One of those, GMAC, signed on to publicize its rebranding as Ally Bank, though executives were not fully told what the subject of the film was.

Despite precautions, the 47-million-year-old secret broke early when The Wall Street Journal published a short piece about the find. The source proved to be Mr. Gingerich, who did not realize he was speaking on the record.

[fozzie 41]

Well...creationists fight dirty so who can blame the scientific community from using all possible outlets and coordinating their efforts.

[Peikko 1,575]

I don't know that I like the fanfare approach, but I would hate to see that detract from any real scientific significance this might have.

[fozzie 41]

I don't know that I like the fanfare approach, but I would hate to see that detract from any real scientific significance this might have.

Thats my one concern too. But it is a coordinated effort after 2 years of research, so hopefully it will stand on it's own two feet

[Dan and Pat! 0]

I know this is in the off-topic threads, but your news posts are still show up in the Thailand portal. I go to check my portal and I have to wade through all of your "news" articles to get to the relevant info. If you want to talk news with people why not go to a site like Fark.com?

If you're going to spam the portal at least can you cut it back to one a day?

Thanks,

Dan

[scandal 951]

I know this is in the off-topic threads, but your news posts are still show up in the Thailand portal. I go to check my portal and I have to wade through all of your "news" articles to get to the relevant info. If you want to talk news with people why not go to a site like Fark.com?

If you're going to spam the portal at least can you cut it back to one a day?

Thanks,

Dan

Hmm.. To be honest, I had not realized that my topics get posted to the Thailand Portal. I never use the "Portal" feature since anyone who has been here any length of time knows that the Thai related discussions happen either on Sawasdee3 or Thailand threads.

There's not much I can do about things showing up in the Forum, that's how the site is designed.

I don't accept your wording of "spamming the portal", since I have every right to post in OT and I'm not intentionally affecting the portal. What's spam to you are pearls of wisdom to my loyal friends, fans, and enemies

I suggest that you take up your complaint with Ewok & the mods. Perhaps they can offer a suggestion to resolve this.

The VJ OT community has been here much longer than you or I. For you to suggest that I not partake in it is a bit overbearing dontcha think? Do you want to make that recommendation to the many other VJ veterans who are active on OT, or is your helpful suggestion singled out only for yours-truly?

Oh, welcome to VJ by the way. And have a nice day.

[almaty 19]

I know this is in the off-topic threads, but your news posts are still show up in the Thailand portal. I go to check my portal and I have to wade through all of your "news" articles to get to the relevant info. If you want to talk news with people why not go to a site like Fark.com?

If you're going to spam the portal at least can you cut it back to one a day?

Thanks,

Dan

whining nOOb

[Nagishkaw 510]

A bit uppity, too.

[scandal 951]

I've requested the Captain's assistance.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=202150

Dave has a legitimate point. There should be a way for him to get value out of VJ without being hassled with stuff he doesn't want to see, while still allowing the OT crowd to have their fun as well.

Edited June 12, 2009 by uscandual

[*Robert* 2]

I've requested the Captain's assistance.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=202150

Dave has a legitimate point. There should be a way for him to get value out of VJ without being hassled with stuff he doesn't want to see, while still allowing the OT crowd to have their fun as well.

Good job brother Scandal!

I didn't know anything about country portals either!

I was like... "####### is this n00b talking about?!!"

[Ban Hammer 13,360]

I've requested the Captain's assistance.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=202150

Dave has a legitimate point. There should be a way for him to get value out of VJ without being hassled with stuff he doesn't want to see, while still allowing the OT crowd to have their fun as well.

Good job brother Scandal!

I didn't know anything about country portals either!

I was like... "####### is this n00b talking about?!!"

don't make me dig out that noob smiley.

[Bobby+Umit 161]

I've requested the Captain's assistance.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=202150

Dave has a legitimate point. There should be a way for him to get value out of VJ without being hassled with stuff he doesn't want to see, while still allowing the OT crowd to have their fun as well.

true - but he assumes you are doing it on purpose...

noobish behaviour.

[*Robert* 2]

I've requested the Captain's assistance.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=202150

Dave has a legitimate point. There should be a way for him to get value out of VJ without being hassled with stuff he doesn't want to see, while still allowing the OT crowd to have their fun as well.

Good job brother Scandal!

I didn't know anything about country portals either!

I was like... "####### is this n00b talking about?!!"

don't make me dig out that noob smiley.

aw shucks brother Charles!

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I know this is in the off-topic threads, but your news posts are still show up in the Thailand portal. I go to check my portal and I have to wade through all of your "news" articles to get to the relevant info. If you want to talk news with people why not go to a site like Fark.com?

If you're going to spam the portal at least can you cut it back to one a day?

Thanks,

Dan

Yeah, Ron. Stop fraternizing with other immigration couples over non-related issues.

Edited June 12, 2009 by Col. 'Bat' Guano

[*Robert* 2]

I know this is in the off-topic threads, but your news posts are still show up in the Thailand portal. I go to check my portal and I have to wade through all of your "news" articles to get to the relevant info. If you want to talk news with people why not go to a site like Fark.com?

If you're going to spam the portal at least can you cut it back to one a day?

Thanks,

Dan

Yeah, Ron. Stop fraternizing with other immigration couples over non-related issues.

Be nice brother Steven!!!