Neil Degrasse Tyson and quote fabrication

[Atreus21]

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articl...egrasse-tyson.html?via=desktop&source=twitter

Celebrity astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has long been a despised figure among conservatives—and now the right is accusing him of being a “fabulist” and making up quotes.

The conservative website The Federalist ran a story last week saying Tyson had used a nonexistent newspaper headline and a fake quote from a member of Congress in a presentation. Tyson had been trying to argue that journalists and politicians don’t understand data.

In another post, the website’s Sean Davis pointed out inconsistencies in a story that Tyson has told at varying points about jury duty. A third post by Davis then took apart an anecdote Tyson told about George W. Bush, showing it to be false.

“The more I dug into it, the more I found a history of fabrication—to make points that he didn’t need fabrication to make,” Davis told The Daily Beast. “As someone who writes and publishes for a living, I take exception to people who go out and make money based on fabrication.”

Conservatives were quick to jump on the charges: websites like Twitchy and FrontPage Mag soon joined the anti-Tyson charge. Meanwhile, PJ Media’s Ed Driscoll found that Tyson repeated a myth about NASA developing a million-dollar space pen while the Soviets used a pencil.

Granted, as the article says later, these made up quotes aren't deeply damning: they don't discredit the man's work in general.

But:

The fact that the casual anecdotes he makes are frequently wrong, Davis said, is disconcerting—especially coming from a man whose work is based on facts and evidence.

“I think it’s more indicting that he’s making stuff up to prove minor, tangential things,” Davis said.

If you'd like to read the gist of the fabrication allegations, including Tyson's attributing quotes to Bush that Bush didn't say, attributing headlines that don't exist to unnamed newspapers, and attributing quotes that can't be found to members of congress, they can be found here:

http://thefederalist.com/2014/09/16/another-day-another-quote-fabricated-by-neil-degrasse-tyson/

Yes, it's inflammatory. But either these quotes are legit or they're not.

Tyson's wikipedia entry is being repeatedly scrubbed of any mention of it. You can see the edit history here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Neil_deGrasse_Tyson&action=history

Sorry for the poor poll wording.

 

[Genx87]

Why is this guy a despised figure among conservatives? I have really enjoyed the shows he hosts. He sounds like a fascinating man.

 

[Atreus21]

Why is this guy a despised figure among conservatives? I have really enjoyed the shows he hosts. He sounds like a fascinating man.

I don't despise him. Some conservatives do because he tends to lean liberal, and as the daily beast article says he smacks of the Bill Maher-esque "I'm smarter than you" attitude which also annoys conservatives.

But anyway, that's not really the question. A scientist of his celebrity shouldn't be resorting to fabricating quotes to make his point.

 

[cbrunny]

What's a "paget rig"?

 

[Atreus21]

What's a "paget rig"?

Definition:

A case of the author hitting submit too quickly.

 

[cbrunny]

Gotcha. I've done that too. Bummer that it's so difficult to edit polls, but I guess that makes sense when you really think about it.

As for the question.... in my opinion, it's somewhat of a losing battle regardless of what side you're on. Remove that it's NDT and replace him with anyone even slightly controversial in history and it's not hard to understand why the edits are appearing and being removed frequently.

Bigger fish out there, even if it is 100% true/false/whatever.

 

[alzan]

The article author would have NDT figuratively burned at the stake for false quoting while he is engaged in nothing more than "Look what I found!! Grrr grrr! Outrage!!" journalism.

I also find the false quotes a little troubling and a valid issue but you're not going to get NDT or anyone else in the public spotlight to change their ways by writing sensationalist stories about their speaking style.

It all depends on your ultimate goal; writing inflammatory articles to push up your readership numbers/gleaning website hits for your publisher or pointing out discrepancies to your subject and asking them to be more accurate.

 

[brycejones]

as the daily beast article says he smacks of the Bill Maher-esque "I'm smarter than you" attitude which also annoys conservatives.

Sometimes the truth hurts........

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

Sometimes the truth hurts........

Not if you're oblivious to it.

 

[dank69]

Not if you're oblivious to it.

That's the trouble with conservatives. They struggle to remain oblivious to data that proves them wrong.

 

[Newell Steamer]

School text books in Texas lean right - wha, wha ah do?

One scientist is possibly leaning left - BBLLLLAAAAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!

 

[Newell Steamer]

Also - don't know/don't care; because you don't have to listen to Neil,.. like I don't have to listen to Texas school books,.. or creationist museum in Tennessee (?).

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

I personally prefer scientists who don't make up shit...I guess I'm just funny that way.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

Who?

 

[MrPickins]

Who?

You don't know who Neil Degrasse Tyson is?

The dude is all over the place these days.

 

[Paul98]

I will be interested to hear the response.

 

[SMOGZINN]

he tends to lean liberal

He does not tend to lean liberal, the facts do.

he smacks of the Bill Maher-esque "I'm smarter than you" attitude which also annoys conservatives.

He is smarter then most people. It's not a attitude, it is what he is. He is trying to teach, and he is talking about things that he is a bonafide world class expert in. Of course he sounds smarter then you. About the things he normally talks about at least he is about as smart as they come.

A scientist of his celebrity shouldn't be resorting to fabricating quotes to make his point.

It sounds like he is making changes when telling antidotes that illustrate a point that he has backed up with evidence. Maybe not the best way to go about it, but certainly not damning. He is not making up the evidence, just telling a story he tells to make it interesting.

 

[Jaskalas]

One, we all make mistakes. Two, there are plenty of clowns out there. Three, I'd rather contest him on facts of science.

 

[Paul98]

It could have been that they simply couldn't find what he was referencing.

 

[dank69]

One, we all make mistakes. Two, there are plenty of clowns out there. Three, I'd rather contest him on facts of science.

This.

 

[DrPizza]

I'm not saying he doesn't do this, but my question is, is Tyson paraphrasing politicians, and the "gotcha" is, "those aren't the exact words he said" which is phrased as "he never actually said THAT."

 

[Londo_Jowo]

You don't know who Neil Degrasse Tyson is?

The dude is all over the place these days.

No, I really don't. If he doesn't show up on FOX 26 between 4:45 - 5:15am M-F then I don't see him. Then again, I'm only interested in the weather and traffic reports before I head out to work.

 

[HomerJS]

I just have one question...

Is the earth closer to 7K years old or 4 billion?

 

[MrPickins]

No, I really don't. If he doesn't show up on FOX 26 between 4:45 - 5:15am M-F then I don't see him. Then again, I'm only interested in the weather and traffic reports before I head out to work.

I guess it's just because I enjoy science documentaries that he seems to be everywhere.

Just FYI, he's pretty much the Carl Sagan of his generation.

 

[QuantumPion]

I'm not saying he doesn't do this, but my question is, is Tyson paraphrasing politicians, and the "gotcha" is, "those aren't the exact words he said" which is phrased as "he never actually said THAT."

What Tyson said:

Here’s what happens. George Bush, within a week of [the 9/11 terrorist attacks] gave us a speech attempting to distinguish we from they. And who are they? These were sort of the Muslim fundamentalists. And he wants to distinguish we from they. And how does he do it?

He says, “Our God” — of course it’s actually the same God, but that’s a detail, let’s hold that minor fact aside for the moment. Allah of the Muslims is the same God as the God of the Old Testament. So, but let’s hold that aside. He says, “Our God is the God” — he’s loosely quoting Genesis, biblical Genesis — “Our God is the God who named the stars.”

The actual quote by Bush - in response to the Shuttle Columbia disaster:

In the skies today we saw destruction and tragedy. Yet farther than we can see, there is comfort and hope. In the words of the prophet Isaiah, “Lift your eyes and look to the heavens. Who created all these? He who brings out the starry hosts one by one and calls them each by name. Because of His great power, and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.”

The same Creator who names the stars also knows the names of the seven souls we mourn today. The crew of the shuttle Columbia did not return safely to Earth; yet we can pray that all are safely home.

Basically just sounds like Tyson is another liberal victim of BDS. And like most liberals, being a liberal takes priority over anything else, e.g. being an objective scientist.