The Smithsonian slowly backs away

June 2, 2005

I noted on Monday that the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History had found itself in a creationist mess. Fortunately, the debacle is working towards something resembling a resolution.

The Discovery Institute, which seeks to undermine modern biology by promoting “intelligent-design” creationism, produced an anti-evolution movie and paid the museum $16,000 to use its auditorium to screen the film. The Smithsonian agreed, despite the fact that it has a policy that prohibits the use of its auditorium for religious events. Just as importantly, the same policy states that “all events at the National Museum of Natural History are co-sponsored by the museum.”

Yesterday, I’m pleased to report, the Smithsonian decided to cut its losses and strike something of a compromise — the movie will still be shown, but the $16,000 will be returned and the museum will not co-sponsor the private event.

“We have determined that the content of the film is not consistent with the mission of the Smithsonian Institution’s scientific research,” said a museum statement.

That’s true, and the Smithsonian is smart to distance itself from this nonsense, but that doesn’t change the fact that the museum clearly screwed up on this one.

The Office of Special Events at the Museum of Natural History told the Discovery Institute that the film was “reviewed by the Associate Director for Research and Collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, and approval was granted for the film to be screened.” In other words, the Smithsonian got the $16,000 check, saw the creationist movie, and lacked the sense to say, “Thanks, but no thanks.”

Naturally, the Discovery Institute isn’t happy.

“We’re disappointed,” [Bruce Chapman, president of the Discovery Institute] said. “We met all their conditions — screening the film for them, agreeing [to list the Smithsonian] director’s name on the invitation and so forth — and then some mention of this in the media, and now they want to backtrack to some degree, and we don’t get it.”

Chapman’s wrong when he’s undermining modern biology, but he’s right to question the Smithsonian’s actions here. The museum made a mistake when it agreed to show the junk-science film in the first place.

I hope Kenneth Tomlinson hasn’t taken up some consulting work for the Smithsonian in his spare time.

  • Yes, the Smithsonian screwed up, and this compromise comes too late and does little to avoid the “camel’s nose under the tent” effect that will follow. The problem is that there is SO MUCH B.S. coming from all directions from those who have left the reality-based community that it’s like trying to stay dry in a hurricane. We just have to keep bailing the shit out faster than it comes in, but it sure is tiring . . .

  • The first question I have is: Why would the Discovery Institute pay the Smithsonian to run their pap? And the second is: why didn’t the Smithsonian ask why a well-funded “Institute” needs their auditorium at all?

    What benfit does the “Discovery Institute” get from this theater, vs. another?

    Could it be legitimacy?

    Not to mention the P/R; “…shown at the Smithsonian…!”

  • Okay, so the Smithsonian screwed up. What now? That bell’s been rung. Can you provide some proscriptive remedy or do you just want to keep harping on how they screwed up?

    For my $0.02, I’d like to see the Associate Director for Research and Collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History resign or at the very least issue a very public abject apology, *and* a very explicit statement of what is and what isn’t acceptable for future screenings.

  • I take solace in the idea that the time I spent writing a long missive to the Smithsonian about this outrage may not, in the end, have been in vain. I do wish they’d go all the way and completely reject them, though. Why let them still show the film there, and now for free, no less? The Discovery Institute will still use it when the dust has settled and people have forgotten this episode—probably in about a week—and will be using their “screened at the Smithsonian” line forever. Maybe a little more letter writing will get them to reconsider and kick these turkeys out into the street where they belong.

  • Okay, in the interest of encouraging others to add their voices, here’s the email I just sent to Randall Kremer at the Smithsonian.

    Dear Mr. Kremer,

    I am gratified to see that the Smithsonian has reexamined its decision to cosponsor a screening of the Discovery Institute’s film. I understand that your institution has returned their money and withdrawn the museum’s endorsement, but that the screening will proceed nevertheless.

    This seems to me to be adding even more double messages to the ones so unwittingly decided upon when the original screening was agreed to. Since these latest actions have demonstrated the recognition by the Smithsonian that this film doesn’t belong in an institution dedicated to the pursuit of science, why let them still show the film there, and now for free, no less? The Discovery Institute will still use it when the dust has settled and people have forgotten this episode—probably in about a week—and will be using their “screened at the Smithsonian” line forever.

    I realize that this has probably been an embarrassing episode for the institution, but now that you’ve bitten the bullet and admitted it, why prolong the embarrassment by half measures? Clearly you know that this movie doesn’t belong in the Smithsonian, and the money issue should be a moot point, as should your endorsement. Allowing the showing of the film is tacit endorsement that will be used and abused for years to come if you allow the screening to take place.

    While those of us in the reality-based community applaud your backtracking, cancel the whole thing entirely and you’ll be getting a standing ovation from all of us. Only then will you have undone the damage and conveyed an unequivocal statement of your venerable institution’s dedication to scientific rigor and integrity. Don’t worry, reasonable people will forgive you this little lapse. Courage, Mr. Kremer! Please, stand up for the principles of science and show your unequivocal respect for the scientific method. Send the Discovery Institute packing—lock, stock and barrel. Otherwise, I fear this will come back to haunt all of us.

  • Good idea, Prez Lindsay. And thanks for the email address. Here’s mine:

    About the “intelligent design” film, please DON’T. Don’t run it at all, under any circumstances or conditions. You know the Discovery Institute propaganda will still link the Smithsonian to this decidedly religious and anti-scientific project. Just do the right thing: dump it and forget it.

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