The Piltdown Hoax
In the early 1900s, scientists were fooled for more than 40 years by one of the ultimate hoaxes. The classic scientific hoax is known as the Piltdown Hoax. Charles Dawson was the amateur archeologist who claimed he found a piece of an ancient human skull in 1912. Dawson was digging in Piltdown town where he discovered the human remains. He invited geologist Arthur Smith Woodward and paleontologist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, to the village in Piltdown where they were digging in a gravel pit for the summer. Dawson located a human jaw bone that looked similar to an Ape, and it was thought to be the piece that connects humans to Apes. The fossils supported the theory of Arthur Keith that humans developed big brains before they walked upright. Scientists were extremely happy to hear the news, because now England had ancient fossils like other countries: France, Germany and Asia. However, there were many doubts that were not openly spoken of.
Human faults led to the Piltdown hoax. With limited testing available, scientists weren’t able to fully examine the skull to obtain the information needed to prove it was millions of years old when it was first discovered. To the eye, with observation, scientists say that it shared similar structures of humans and apes. It wasn’t until 1949, where a fluorine test results showed the skull was only about 100,000 years old and alterations were made to the skull. Prior to having this information, there should have been more studies to determine if the fossils were what they were said to be. It was only a short time between the discovery and the announcement to the world. The scientific process lacked testing and analyzing.
Although humans have faults and can sometimes disrupt science, I don't think it's possible to fully remove humans. Science is discovered by humans and therefore it would be hard to remove the human factor. However, adjustment can be made to reduce human faults. Adjustments like double checking information or running the same test to ensure the information have the same results.
The take away from the Piltdown hoax is to always question unverified sources. Allow yourself to ask questions that will push you to do further research for information needed to verify if it is true or not true.
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In the early 1900s, scientists were fooled for more than 40 years by one of the ultimate hoaxes. The classic scientific hoax is known as the Piltdown Hoax. Charles Dawson was the amateur archeologist who claimed he found a piece of an ancient human skull in 1912. Dawson was digging in Piltdown town where he discovered the human remains. He invited geologist Arthur Smith Woodward and paleontologist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, to the village in Piltdown where they were digging in a gravel pit for the summer. Dawson located a human jaw bone that looked similar to an Ape, and it was thought to be the piece that connects humans to Apes. The fossils supported the theory of Arthur Keith that humans developed big brains before they walked upright. Scientists were extremely happy to hear the news, because now England had ancient fossils like other countries: France, Germany and Asia. However, there were many doubts that were not openly spoken of.
Human faults led to the Piltdown hoax. With limited testing available, scientists weren’t able to fully examine the skull to obtain the information needed to prove it was millions of years old when it was first discovered. To the eye, with observation, scientists say that it shared similar structures of humans and apes. It wasn’t until 1949, where a fluorine test results showed the skull was only about 100,000 years old and alterations were made to the skull. Prior to having this information, there should have been more studies to determine if the fossils were what they were said to be. It was only a short time between the discovery and the announcement to the world. The scientific process lacked testing and analyzing.
Although humans have faults and can sometimes disrupt science, I don't think it's possible to fully remove humans. Science is discovered by humans and therefore it would be hard to remove the human factor. However, adjustment can be made to reduce human faults. Adjustments like double checking information or running the same test to ensure the information have the same results.
The take away from the Piltdown hoax is to always question unverified sources. Allow yourself to ask questions that will push you to do further research for information needed to verify if it is true or not true.
My feedback:
ReplyDeleteHuman faults: This was perfect:
"The fossils supported the theory of Arthur Keith that humans developed big brains before they walked upright."
That is precisely correct in terms of the significance of this fossil discovery. So why did you include this in the prior line?
"Dawson located a human jaw bone that looked similar to an Ape, and it was thought to be the piece that connects humans to Apes."
First of all, humans ARE apes, so that first part doesn't really make sense. The second part is another way of saying "missing link", which is not correct. It isn't just the words that are the problem but the meaning behind them which fails to reflect how evolution actually works. The Course Resources module provides background information that explains the problem with this concept. Make sure you take the time to review this.
Otherwise, you do a very good job of describing the first half of this event, but you stop before explaining how the hoax was uncovered. That needed to be included in your synopsis.
Human faults: "The scientific process lacked testing and analyzing. "
But that is not a "human fault". That just reflects the reality of science during that time. A "human fault" is some innate character trait of humans that led to the creation or perpetuation of this hoax. There are two sides to this event: (a) The culprits who created the hoax in the first place and (b) the scientific community who failed to detect the hoax when it was presented to them. So what faults can explain these two failures? Why did the culprits (whomever they are) create the hoax? Greed? Ambition? Revenge? And why did the scientific community fail to do their jobs and uncover the hoax earlier? Why did they accept this find so readily without proper scrutiny? What might have inspired them (particularly the British scientists) to not do their jobs properly when it came to this particular fossil?
Benefits of the process of science: Good discussion of the technology used to uncover the hoax, but what made scientists come back and retest Piltdown? What was happening in paleoanthropology in those 40 years that pushed them to re-examine this find? What aspect of science does that represent?
Eliminate human factor?: "Adjustments like double checking information or running the same test to ensure the information have the same results. "
But we already have that in the process of science, with the scientific method and the system of peer review. The scientists just failed to follow that process. I agree with your conclusion here, but I would have liked you to expand upon this:
"Science is discovered by humans"
Correct, though it may be more accurate to say that science is *driven* by humans, specifically by human curiosity. We are the ones to ask the questions, to search for evidence, to test hypothesis, and to draw conclusions. Could we even do science without humans?
Life lesson: Good life lesson.