When thinking of nature documentaries, I've seen only a few 'eye-rollers' where I thought 'wow, that isn't entirely accurate'. I've also heard some real explanations, surprised at some simple clarifications of complex ideas. Many scientists aren't that great at conveying some of these tidbits, and I like the idea of distributing a few random concepts 'to the masses'.
There are a lot of people out there that can be entertained by these shows and will develop an interest in science that may not have been fostered otherwise. If it takes a little manipulation and faking to turn a few people away from hating science, so be it. I'm appalled at some of the attitudes toward 'nature' in the U.S., and I think that most of these shows, even some of the shocking 'reality' type programs, can help some people reconnect with the environment. Amanda Amanda Quillen, Ph.D. Limnologist Aquatic Systems, Inc. Vertex Water Features 954-977-7736 -----Original Message----- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Wayne Tyson Sent: Wednesday, September 22, 2010 11:53 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Naturefaking in media Here's a link to a timely report on this subject: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/21/AR2010092105782.html WT PS: It seems that some are not concerned; others think the practice is a major problem. I tend to think it depends a lot on whether or not the faking is misleading or truly educational, but I'd like to hear from Ecolog on this issue. It seems that there's a lot that doesn't meet the eye . . .
