- Date
- Wednesday 23 Oct 2019, 19:00 - 21:30
- Type
- General
- Spoken Language
- English
- Room
- 2-04
- Building
- Polak Building
Registration for this event is no longer possible as we have reached the maximum capacity of the venue.
On the 23rd of October the Erasmus Initiative: Dynamics of Inclusive Prosperity hosts the showing of "Merchants of Doubt". A documentary that inspects pundits-for-hire who present themselves as scientific authorities as they speak about topics like toxic chemicals, pharmaceuticals and climate change. The documentary is the film version of a book written by Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway. After the film showing, there will be a panel discussion with members of the academic team of the initiative.
Scientists have produced landmark studies on the dangers of DDT, tobacco smoke, acid rain, and global warming. But at the same time, a small yet potent subset of this community leads the world in vehement denial of these dangers.
Merchants of Doubt explains how a loose–knit group of high-level scientists, with extensive political connections, ran effective campaigns to mislead the public and deny well-established scientific knowledge over four decades. Oreskes and Conway roll back the rug on this dark corner of the American scientific community, showing how the ideology of free market fundamentalism, aided by a too-compliant media, has skewed public understanding of some of the most pressing issues of our era.
During the movie a vegan dinner is provided by Flower Burger.
Registration for this event is no longer possible as we have reached the maximum capacity of the venue.