How do you separate the facts from the narrative? That can be challenging these days, and the realm of science is no exception. On this ID The Future, enjoy the second half of a conversation with Dr. Casey Luskin that originally aired on the Come Let Us Reason Together Podcast hosted by Lenny Esposito. Casey discusses the growing controversy surrounding Sahelanthropus tchadensis, a fossil often described as one of the earliest human ancestors. But what began as a celebrated evolutionary discovery has now sparked open disagreement among evolutionary scientists themselves.
In this concluding segment, Casey will discuss the telling researcher-to-specimen imbalance in the field of paleoanthropology, the nuance between error and deception in human origins narratives, and the broader implications of the controversy around the Sahelanthropus fossil. This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation. Read More ›
Science is a very human enterprise, and very human problems can color scientific research as well as the narratives cast around findings and results. On this ID The Future, we’re bringing you the first half of a conversation with Dr. Casey Luskin that originally aired on the Come Let Us Reason Together Podcast hosted by Lenny Esposito. Casey discusses the growing controversy surrounding Sahelanthropus tchadensis, a fossil often described as one of the earliest human ancestors. But what began as a celebrated evolutionary discovery has now sparked open disagreement among evolutionary scientists themselves. In this segment, Casey reviews the history of paleoanthropology, what the field is trying to prove about human origins, and how language, bias, politics, prestige, and funding pressure all play a part in how discoveries are framed and evidence is weighed. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. Read More ›
The Smithsonian Institution has recently been called out by the Trump Administration for pushing "one-sided, divisive political narratives." But American history isn’t the only domain in which the Smithsonian is advancing misinformation. The National Museum of Natural History’s Hall of Human Origins vastly distorts the scientific evidence on human evolution, seeking to convince visitors that there’s nothing special about us as human beings. On today's ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid talks to attorney and geologist Dr. Casey Luskin to dissect his explosive new editorial in the New York Post calling on the Smithsonian Museum to stop "miseducating the public" on the history of human beings. Read More ›