A little while ago I wrote about the belief that some people have about Ancient Celts living in New Zealand before Maori arrived. When I did that I’d briefly heard about that belief before but had put it aside as, well to be honest, totally bonkers. But I did write it when I did because at that time I’d come across a number of people who held that belief who weren’t apparently ‘totally bonkers.’ So I became fascinated on how they came to those ideas.
Interestingly some of those people also strongly held the view that 1080 poison used by the Dept of Conservation to control introduced predators in New Zealand was wrong and doing more damage than good for indigenous species.
Even more interesting?
Then I came across an article concerning “Science Denial” (Science in the Time of Post-Truth. . .Dave Hansford, New Zealand Geograpic Nov-Dec 2016) The author noted the growing numbers of people worldwide who feel greater comfort in finding a new kind of spiritualism in this concept in which intelligent men and women are prepared to ignore research, data and facts in favour of a more mystical, emotional approach to life. Something in which they can take back some power and control. A tribe to belong to with whom ‘it matters not whether the incantation is true or correct: it’s the act of recital that gets the endorphins up.’
Hansford believes that these ideas may be traceable to the advent of the internet in which any belief can be continually reinforced by linking directly to others of the same belief. Especially on Facebook where there are no fact checks by proofreaders and editors. The more anyone searches for “Ancient Celts in New Zealand” “Ban 1080” “We never went to the Moon” “Climate Change is a Hoax” etc, the more their own computers will find collaborating evidence and ignore anything else on the subject and help convince that these things are the truth.
I believe in the science. Not because I want to but because it’s impossible to not believe in it if you read it and talk to people who know. (scientists relevant to the subject) However I understand the others who are possibly not deliberately in denial. After all no-one knows what they don’t know and we all follow our interests (with a passion especially if you are curious and intelligent in that way) whatever they are. I know artists and musicians who have little interest in science because their lives are full enough without it. At some point many people may hear or casually read something about “Ancient Celts in New Zealand” and perhaps put in the back of their minds as ‘interesting’ but give themselves no time to follow it up. At some later point they may come across someone who really believes it and therefore captures their interest further etc etc. They may never have a conversation with an archaeologist.
I also believe that the scientists need to be more aware of this problem. I think many may totally ignore it because they can’t believe that intelligent people would ever fall for such ideas. Many can’t be bothered with attempting to rebut or even talk about such things. They are out there extending knowledge and truth and have no time for ‘nutcases.’ So I think their arrogance is a problem. Not because they could be wrong –they aren’t, but because their ignoring science denial is putting everything they have worked for and given us all at risk.
Example….there is a belief that in the US thousands of children are being killed by immunisation?? Even if only one parent in New Zealand (or anywhere) believes that and refuses to allow their child to be immunised then they are putting other children at real risk. Not necessarily those who are immunised but those who suffer from leukemia and other immunological conditions And do they actually want diptheria or smallpox back that really did kill thousands of children. Immunisation eliminated those diseases.
So….Ancient Celts in New Zealand? Just read the facts. What the internet can hide, it can also reveal.
And here’s something it did reveal to me after reading Dave Hansford and checking his facts. The eggs and chicks of over 25 million native birds are eaten by introduced predators every year, not including females who are killed as they try to incubate those eggs. After fifteen 1080 drops over eleven years only 13 dead native birds were found. All of these were autopsied and only two were found to have died from 1080 (both tomtits) DOC has acknowledged the unacceptable deaths of two dozen kea since 2008 and is doing everything it can to prevent a repeat of this, but it was not a holocaust as so many anti-1080 protesters claim. DOC’s reason to exist is to protect our wild heritage and the reason many work for them is because they are passionate about that. It goes way outside of reason to think that they would ignore science and actually do anything to oppose that aim.
The Renaissance did happen. Science freed us. I want the world to stay that way.
Keith Tonkin 13/1/18
Keith Tonkin 