1. The Piltdown Hoax is the deception of the link between men and apes. In the early 1800’s, a piece of skull was found in the hills of Sussex in England. The piece of skull was then passed on to an archeologist named Charles Dawson. To Dawson, the skull appeared to be prehistoric. Dawson then met Arthur Smith Woodward at London’s Natural History Museum about his discovery. Dawson and Woodward geared up for a digging, for they have felt that this piece of skull is crucial to finding the link between men and apes. This piece of skull may also be the answer to England’s first human. They finally found a jawbone with human like teeth that seemed to match with the skull Dawson obtained from the worker. British science were impressed when Dawson and Woodward presented a human skull next to “the earliest English Man’s” skull. It was the pride of England, for it was thought to be missing link. Piltdown became the most famous place on earth because the fossils of the first man to inhibit the Earth was found there; and it was in England.
After the second world war, scientists conducted tests, such as fluorine tests, that resulted into finding out that the fossil were about 100-1,000 years old, which is considered to be young if the fossils were prehistoric. In 1953, scientists decided to perform tests to determine whether the artifacts were really that young. It was obvious to the scientists that the strains on the skull were superficial. The fossil were also found to have been stained and cut after the piece of skull was fossilized. The teeth that were found to be filed into place, and there were scratches on the teeth most likely made by something sharp. The jawbone was revealed to be an orangutan jawbone, and dated to be only 100 years old. There were also many pieces of the jawbone removed to fit the upper part of the skull. Scientists were astonished by this discovery. Charles Dawson was now a prime suspect to this scam. After unearthing the Piltdown Hoax, Dawson was now known to have forged half a dozen archeological finds in his lifetime. Now scientists are questioning whether Dawson had committed this fraud by himself, or with the aid of a professional. Dawson and Woodward were highly respected men in the field of science, but now they are looked upon as counterfeits. There was another person who was suspected to have participated in the hoax. Hinton found artifacts that had the same staining as the skull found in Piltdown.
It was stated that in the olden days, scientists were seen as scholars and gentlemen, and that they would not commit such a forgery; but now scientists know that this kind of fraud can and will happen.
2. As human beings, we are not perfect. The scientists who were involved in the Piltdown Hoax were intelligent men, but pride and prestige caused them to commit fraud. It was repeatedly mentioned that Neanderthal fossils were found in Germany, France, and Spain, but not England. At this time, early 1900’s, England was in war with Germany, so the English pride was hurt that there were not any kind of fossil found in England to prove prehistoric humans lived there. The pressure of being the best had gotten the best of the scientists to commit such a fraud.
3. In the 1920’s more discoveries of fossils were unearthed, but these fossils were dated to be thousands years after the Piltdown man, but it was less human like. There was some inconsistency. A test was performed, fluorine test, to recover the age of the fossils found in Piltdown. Scientists measured the amount of fluorine in the Piltdown fossils to determine how old it was. Professor Frank Spencer stated that the teeth in the fossil were filed into the jaw using something scratched and implemented the molars down.
4. As long as we are humans, I do not think it is possible to remove the human factor to reduce or prevent these kinds of errors from happening again. There is the want and the pressure of being the first one to discover something unknown to the world, and as long as the scientist is human, it will not be removed. I would like for the human factor to be removed, so that there would be little errors and selfishness behind discoveries, but then again without the human factor, there would be no passion behind it as well. Also, this way we can learn from others mistakes. When it comes down to it, I do not think I want the human factor to be removed.
5. The lesson I learned from the Piltdown Hoax does not only pertain to science discoveries, but also in my personal life. Even if the resources seem to be reliable and are from people who are respectable, it does not always mean it is right or it is true. It is how some misunderstandings between friends start. Apparently, it can also cause a world wide scam.
The fossils should have been investigated by an outside source to avoid any bias conclusions.
After the second world war, scientists conducted tests, such as fluorine tests, that resulted into finding out that the fossil were about 100-1,000 years old, which is considered to be young if the fossils were prehistoric. In 1953, scientists decided to perform tests to determine whether the artifacts were really that young. It was obvious to the scientists that the strains on the skull were superficial. The fossil were also found to have been stained and cut after the piece of skull was fossilized. The teeth that were found to be filed into place, and there were scratches on the teeth most likely made by something sharp. The jawbone was revealed to be an orangutan jawbone, and dated to be only 100 years old. There were also many pieces of the jawbone removed to fit the upper part of the skull. Scientists were astonished by this discovery. Charles Dawson was now a prime suspect to this scam. After unearthing the Piltdown Hoax, Dawson was now known to have forged half a dozen archeological finds in his lifetime. Now scientists are questioning whether Dawson had committed this fraud by himself, or with the aid of a professional. Dawson and Woodward were highly respected men in the field of science, but now they are looked upon as counterfeits. There was another person who was suspected to have participated in the hoax. Hinton found artifacts that had the same staining as the skull found in Piltdown.
It was stated that in the olden days, scientists were seen as scholars and gentlemen, and that they would not commit such a forgery; but now scientists know that this kind of fraud can and will happen.
2. As human beings, we are not perfect. The scientists who were involved in the Piltdown Hoax were intelligent men, but pride and prestige caused them to commit fraud. It was repeatedly mentioned that Neanderthal fossils were found in Germany, France, and Spain, but not England. At this time, early 1900’s, England was in war with Germany, so the English pride was hurt that there were not any kind of fossil found in England to prove prehistoric humans lived there. The pressure of being the best had gotten the best of the scientists to commit such a fraud.
3. In the 1920’s more discoveries of fossils were unearthed, but these fossils were dated to be thousands years after the Piltdown man, but it was less human like. There was some inconsistency. A test was performed, fluorine test, to recover the age of the fossils found in Piltdown. Scientists measured the amount of fluorine in the Piltdown fossils to determine how old it was. Professor Frank Spencer stated that the teeth in the fossil were filed into the jaw using something scratched and implemented the molars down.
4. As long as we are humans, I do not think it is possible to remove the human factor to reduce or prevent these kinds of errors from happening again. There is the want and the pressure of being the first one to discover something unknown to the world, and as long as the scientist is human, it will not be removed. I would like for the human factor to be removed, so that there would be little errors and selfishness behind discoveries, but then again without the human factor, there would be no passion behind it as well. Also, this way we can learn from others mistakes. When it comes down to it, I do not think I want the human factor to be removed.
5. The lesson I learned from the Piltdown Hoax does not only pertain to science discoveries, but also in my personal life. Even if the resources seem to be reliable and are from people who are respectable, it does not always mean it is right or it is true. It is how some misunderstandings between friends start. Apparently, it can also cause a world wide scam.
The fossils should have been investigated by an outside source to avoid any bias conclusions.
I really liked your answer in #4. There would be a loss of ingenuity and curiousity that drives much of science if the human factor were removed.
ReplyDeleteIn your last line, I wouldn't call it and "outside source" as this suggests outside of science, but at least a secondary source using scientific methods. And more than a second source would be even better.
Good job.