The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an organization that marches with the times. In the late 60's, when it was the custom for radical punks to pelt officials of respectable organizations with rotten tomatoes at convention time, the AAAS Presidium got pelted by rotten tomatoes at convention time. In those days, academic etiquette demanded a two-step response to such hooliganism: 1) condemn, 2) capitulate. And the AAAS condemned and capitulated. Much of the news and comment sections of its weekly Science are now societally relevant, involved, conscious, aware and progressive. At least passably so. It would be hard to plug the usual anti-nuclear superstitions openly in a scientific journal, but the anti-nuclear bias of Robert Gilette, the reporter who usually covers the nuclear news, is ill-concealed.
When Hans Bethe and 10 other Nobel laureates issued their appeal (AtE Mar.75), Gilette briefly mentioned it, devoting most of the item to what Ralph Nader had to say about it. When pro-nuclear appeals were issued by the scientists of the Energy Research Group, or Washington Univ., or Iowa State, or Virginia Univ., or other institutions, there was no report. But when Nader delivered the gimmicky UCS petition (AtE Sep.75) to the White House, Gilette's story covered 2/3 of a page, in a special box and adorned by a headline in 18 point bold type. Among other comment, Gilette characterized the recently formed Americans for Energy Independence (AtE Sep.75) as an organization "whose contributors range from Westinghouse Corporation to a passel of major utilities."
In the August 29 issue of Science, Gilette reports on how the Soviets censor Science. So what else is new? For decades, the Soviets have been xeroxing Western scientific journals, covering advertisements, news stories, and even scientific papers with blank paper before distributing the censored copies to libraries and scientific institutes, so as to protect inquisitive minds from heretic depravity. The same is done in the East European colonies of the Soviet Empire.
The wonder is not that the Soviets have censorship. The wonder is that Gilette should suddenly find censorship distasteful.
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Vol. 3, No. 2
Newsletter: Access to Energy Newsletter Archive Volume: Volume 3 Issue/No.: Vol. 3, No. 2 Date: October 01, 1975 10:31 AM (For actual publication date see newsletter.) Title: Oil and Paper
Copyright © 2004 - Access to Energy Newsletter Archive
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