Again

Try this post again: we know that Charles Dawson was the "discoverer" of Piltdown Man.  Dawson was a reseller and seller and fake antiquities.  He did not profit directly from the notoriety of Piltdown Man, but it is arguably clear that his notoriety was enhanced as the discoverer of the "artifact" and, with this enhanced reputation, was able to sell other fake antiquities with this enhanced reputation.

   Therefore, it is worth considering that although some fraudsters may not profit directly from a fraud, they may profit indirectly.

   We will wrap this up tommorrow.

Have a great and fraud free day.

http://www.tauskvega.com

------------>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

There's a sucker born every minute XIV

We know that Charles Dawson was the person who "found" Piltdown Man.  As a recap: Charles Dawson was a solicitor who lived in southern England, near Sussex. He was also an enthusiastic amateur paleontologist. In 1908 some workmen, knowing his interest in fossils, presented him with curious bone fragments that they had found while working in a gravel pit near the town of Piltdown. Dawson's interest was piqued and he soon began conducting his own excavation in the pit. Eventually he enlisted the aid of Arthur Smith Woodward, keeper of the Department of Geology at the British Museum.


    After the fraud was completely exposed, Dawson was found to be a trader in fake antiquities.  Although it is not proven that Dawson profited directly from Piltdown Man, it is also clear that Dawson's reputation was enhanced by the "discovery" of Piltdown Man.  It is likely, therefore, that Piltdown Man assisted Dawson in the sale of other fake antiquities.


    It is worth considering, therefore, that fraudsters may profit indirectly from a fraud as well as directly.


Have a great and fraud free day.


http://www.tauskvega.com


------------>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk  

There's a sucker born every minute XIII

So - Piltdown Man and fraud.  What does one have to do with the other?

     When something comes along that seems to provide an answer, sometimes we overlook the obvious.

     Piltdown Man can be forgiven for being a fraud.  It can also be forgiven for deceiving many people, including anthropologists.  Science is in a constant process of development, all science, and it is not uncommon for one theory to be overthrown upon the discovery of new evidence.  In this respect, Piltdown Man is just another chapter in scientific history.

    What signals it as fraud, however, is that it was planted by a person who obviously was intent on deceiving people and that so many people were willing to look past the obvious problems with this "find" because it answered so many issues, including issues that had nothing to do with anthropology.

   Tommorrow, we will discovery how certain people gained financially from Piltdown Man and then wrap it up.

http://www.tauskvega.com

-------------->>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

There's a sucker born every minute XII

So - the ultimate demise of Piltdown Man was two factors:

1.   The advancement of the science of anthropology which was able to prove conclusively that it was a fraud, and
2.   The changing social attitudes which discarded the idea that evolution had some "races" that were more advanced than other "races."

     Both of these factors are important when discussing fraud.

    First, the type of fraud schemes that would have been possible 30 years ago are not possible now, and vice versa.

    For example, the original "Ponzi" scheme depended on the idea that there was an exchange rate that was different in different countries AND it would take time (namely a trip across the ocean) to take advantage of these rates.  This is not possible today with instantaneous communications.  In reverse, the "419" scams of Nigera (and other countries) which happen through email could not have occurred before the advent of email.

More on this later.

Have a great and fraud free day.

http://www.tauskvega.com

---------->>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

There's a sucker born every minute XI

We discussed why it took until the 1950's for Piltdown Man to be declared a complete fake.  As stated, there were several anthropologists who from the very beginning who stated as such, but they were swept aside.  It was not until the 1950's that the final verdict was in and Piltdown Man was declared a fake.

     Remember, one of the reasons that Piltdown Man was viewed as "real" from the beginning was because many Europeans were willing to accept the idea that certain races (i.e. Europeans) were more advanced from an evolutionary perspective than other races (i.e. colonized peoples).  Piltdown Man allowed this type of interpretation because it showed that human beings had a "missing link" between apes and humans (a false interpretation of evolution as described today).  If there was a "missing link" then this was proof that certain species were more advanced than others.

     By the 1950's, this view had been discarded.  Combined with the idea that colonialism was on its way out,, this helped to discredit the very idea of Piltdown Man.  If there was no more need for a "missing link" and there was no need to justify colonialization, then perhaps the whole idea of "Piltdown Man" should be reevaluated.

    We will wrap this up tommorrow.

Have a great and fraud free day.

http://www.tauskvega.com

------------------------->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

There's a sucker born every minute X

Let's continue this conversation talking about the European version of early 20th century Darwinism.  Or, to be more precise, how many Europeans interpreted Darwin's ideas along with their own prejudices.

      As we discussed all along, Piltdown Man was a fraud from the very beginning.  An unknown fraudster glued together the skull fragments of various species (including humans) and buried his creation.  It was found and interpreted to be the "missing link" between apes and humans.

     Many times, fraudsters take advantage of not only what we believe, but what we want to believe.  Many Europeans wanted to believe that they were more highly "evolved" than other humans and had not only the duty, but the right to colonize much of the planet.  If Piltdown Man were to be believed, then this was proof that humans evolved from lesser animals and, also, were in the process of continuous evolution.  Might it not be true, then that certain humans were more evolved than others.

     This kind of idea helped to keep alive the idea that Piltdown Man was a real find, even though many anthropologists disputed it from the very beginning.  The notion, however, that certain races were more advanced not only culturally, but physically as well, was too enticing of an idea for some.

    By the 1950's, when Piltdown Man was decisively declared to be a fraud, these ideas of evolution had also passed.

More on this later.

http://www.tauskvega.com

---------------->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

There's a sucker born every minute IX

Let's talk about the second element of the Piltdown Man fraud which kept it alive for so long - the old (discarded) idea that evolution is a progression from "worse" to "better."

     During the time when Piltdown Man was found, as stated in an earlier post, European colonial expansion was at its height.  Many people in these colonial countries (but not all) found excuses in its empire building by using ideas that advanced European nations were "civilizing" these colonies.  Please note that Europeans were not the only countries in history to build empires at the expense of other people - this has been going on since the dawn of time.  But, European empire building occurred during a time when our understanding of nature (through the scientific method) was expanding exponentially.

     A misinterpreted idea of evolution, therefore, also made the idea of "Piltdown Man" acceptable.  If "higher" European civilizations were more "advanced" than other cultures, then it might make sense that "Europeans" were also more advanced in a biological sense as well.  Piltdown Man demonstrated that there as a missing link between "higher" and "lower" races and this fit into the worldview of this interpretation.

More on this later.

Have a great and fraud free day

http://www.tauskvega.com

-------------->>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk