September 24, 2006
9/25 - Randy Olson, Dumb Filmmaker, to speak at Inspiration Festival
In February I prompted a massive discussion on the evolution blogs of Carl Zimmer and PZ Myers about the communication of evolution to broad audiences. PZ Myers accused me of advocating "dumbing down" science (when in fact I was advocating "concision" and I'm not sure he grasped the difference).
So now Seed Magazine has organized a day of talks by scientists at The Inspiration Festival in New York City. They have scheduled me to speak right after PZ Myers, and to set the proper tone, I have labeled myself, "Randy Olson, Dumb Filmmaker."
In fact, I shall begin my presentation by discussing the very logical premise of the brilliant new movie from Mike Judge, "Idiocracy," that in the future stupid people, because of their higher reproductive rate, will take over the world.
What an inspired concept!