1. The Piltdown hoax began in 1912 in Piltdown in England. The founder of the fossils was Charles Dawson who found what seemed to be fragments of an ancient human skull. The scientific community was amazed because it was the first human fossil found in England, and it seemed to be older than any fossil found in other countries. The turning point in the discovery of the hoax was in 1949, but the first full scale analysis of the fossil fragments was in 1953. They discovered that the fossils were artificially stained and that the teeth were filed down. They also discovered that the jaw bone belonged to a female orangutan that was less than 100 years old.
2. Even though scientists can be considered curious, creative, and persistent, they are also trying to gain scientific prestige. The scientists involved in the Piltdown hoax had no other way of gaining said prestige unless they lied, cheated, and were deceptive. These faults negatively impacted the scientific process because it caused several scientists to research the hoax for more than 40 years.
3. In 1949, scientists used a fluorine test to attempt to date the fossils. They found that the fossils were relitively young. In 1953, when scientists ran their first full scale analysis with better dating methods, they easily saw that the fragments were artificially stained. When the scientists looked at the teeth in the jaw bone under a microscope they found that the teeth were filed down.
4. No, not at this time because we are the smartest beings in existence, and there is nothing more knowledgable at this point to reduce errors in the scientific process. I would not want to completely remove the "human" factor because I believe that without humans there would be no science in the first place. It is sad that scientists would reduce themselves to lying and cheating to gain prestige. Unfortunately, at this time there is no way to eliminate the "human" factor.
5. I was very surprised while learning about the Piltdown hoax and I think that you have to explore things for yourself before you take anyone's word for it. Any person has the potential to lie and cheat.
Good outline of the background of the hoax.
ReplyDeleteRegarding this line: "The scientists involved in the Piltdown hoax had no other way of gaining said prestige unless they lied, cheated, and were deceptive." This is speculation on your part, but I would have liked to have see this expanded upon. What incentives might there have been to encourage their actions? There are many...
Also this line, which I agree with, but I would have liked clarification: "I would not want to completely remove the "human" factor because I believe that without humans there would be no science in the first place."
What is it about humans that results in science?
I like what you said about how science is a result of that human factor and there would be none if we remove if completely. The human's curiosity and desire to explore more is the key that brought science to what it is today after all.
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