Bad Science: Harper's Article "Mighty White of you"

[android]

Mighty White of You
Racial preferences color America’s oldest skulls and bones
Jack Hitt

http://www.harpers.org/MostRecentCover.html

Unfortunately, they don't have a text online.

It's about the Kennewick Man, and is interesting in that its sole intent appears to be to muddle the concept of race. It concludes, lamely, with "science will find the truth." It talks at first about European ancestry, then tries to insinuate that while race does exist it's not anything but a skin-color difference, then finally mentions ancient European sub-races to try to debunk race as an argument. It's a very scummy article hiding beneath a modicum of scientific and cultural literacy. Anyone else read it?

 

[SkinWalker]

Yeah... I read that article. I remember being a bit annoyed at the author's slant, too.

One of the things that sticks out off the top of my head is Adovasio's pet theory that the Meadowcroft Rock Shelter is older than 10,000 years. The article's author didn't seem to mention that the animal & plant species that Adovasio dated weren't Ice Age species (black gum, oak, and hickory; white-tailed deer, southern flying squirrel, and the passenger pigeon). The most likely explanation is the intrusion of groundwater with older carbonates, which contaminated the strata. Adovasio usually counters this argument with the claim that the region was in a micro-climate, but until evidence of this is demonstrated, the contamination argument must stand.

 

[Silas]

I must say I'm interested in reading the rest of that magazine! "None dare call it stolen - Ohio, the Election and America's Servile Press by Mark Crispin Miller." "The Christian Paradox: How a Faithful Nation gets Jesus Wrong by Bill McKibben."