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A Note From Lawrence:
Elizabeth Weiss's recent book, On the Warpath, chronicles her efforts to keep anthropology from falling prey to ideology, even as she curated a collection of ancient skeletons at San Jose State University. She and I had a chance to discuss her new book, and some of the ridiculous ways in which myth and superstition, and modern PC nonsense are intruding on the scientific study of humans and their ancestry. These included having a session the sex of skeletons being cancelled from a meeting of the American Anthropological Association because its leadership now insisted sex isnât binary, and the fact that the American Museum of Natural History warns visitors that certain artifacts have powerful supernatural characteristics.
Many of her efforts have been to fight inappropriate repatriation of ancient bones to groups whose genetic relationship to these distant hominid ancestors is tenuous at best. It was this that caused her to lose her curations position at her University and eventually to retire from academia.
It was a pleasure to talk common sense, and the importance of science for our understanding of the human condition with her. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.
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00:08 - Introduction: Elizabeth Weiss and the Battle for Scientific Integrity
02:00 - The Role of Anthropology in Understanding Human History
07:45 - Science vs. Myth: The Fight Over Studying Ancient Human Remains
16:05 - The Impact of Ideology on Scientific Research and Academic Freedom
25:45 - Censorship and Cancel Culture in Anthropology
35:08 - The Repatriation Debate: Who Owns the Past?
46:30 - Political Pressure, Activism, and the Decline of Open Inquiry
58:45 - Universities and the Fear of Offending: The Changing Academic Landscape
1:07:50 - The Role of Museums in Preservingâor ErasingâScientific Knowledge
1:14:20 - The Battle Over Biological Sex in Anthropology
1:20:35 - The Future of Free Speech and Scientific Skepticism
1:30:10 - Standing Firm: Lessons from Fighting for Scientific Truth
1:40:50 - Life After Academia: Moving Beyond Institutional Constraints
1:50:30 - How Science is Being Replaced by Ideology in Institutions
2:00:15 - The Growing Influence of Political Activism in Museums
2:10:30 - Final Reflections: Why This Fight Matters for Science and Society
2:20:10 - Closing Thoughts and Supporting Free Inquiry
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