7/16/2008

ALIS!

That's an acronym for 'Animated Lost in Space'. Yes, there was an animated version of the schlocky TV sci-fi program developed by Hanna-Barbera. Yes, it's just about what you would expect: even schlockier! Here's the first segment (all seven are available via YouTube):



Still, fun to watch with the trim-downed cast of characters and the stock music that Hanna-Barbera used with many of its low-budget Saturday morning cartoons over the years. I'm getting ready to go with a couple of teacher colleagues to the San Diego Comic-Con, the biggest such gathering nationally, so I thought I'd post something apropos.

3 comments:

Mark said...

Scott, I am a little confused on this blog and its connection with "esposed". I just ran across this blog by chance. Could you leave a note or something on my blog so I can follow your posts. I should bookmark it, but have so many already I might lose yours. You will be glad to know that my life has been extended by increased blood flow caused by ID, flying saucers, chiropacty etc. I am catholic but in full war with my church over their wierd views on sex. Jack

Scott Hatfield . . . . said...

Hi, Jack. Scott Hatfield here. You left a comment on my blog wondering about the connection to 'Exposed', which is an NCSE-sponsored web site that takes the Ben Stein-hosted documentary 'Expelled' to task for its weird, ideologically-driven attempt to link evolutionary biology with political correctness, Nazis and Lord knows what else. While they won't tell you so, almost everyone involved with the production of this film (which was a bit of a box office flop) was an evangelical Christian with ties to a conservative think tank called the Discovery Institute, which promotes a version of creationism called 'intelligent design.'

I happen to be a member of NCSE (National Center for Science Education), which is the main organization involved in promoting and defending the teaching of evolution in the public schools. As such, NCSE and its members are opposed to creationism in general, and specifically to attempts to get ID or other versions of creationism in the science classroom. It just isn't appropriate.

In general, the courts have supported NCSE and the scientific community on this point. As a result, the advocates for ID have shifted tactics: rather than attempt to make their case on the basis of the science (which is at the present time nonexistent) or through the courts (who have shot them down repeatedly), they are now appealing to popular misconceptions and (frankly) prejudice.

As a high school science teacher, I'm glad NCSE exists, obviously. As a serious Christian who is also an evolutionary biologist, I'm the kind of guy who ends up in the crossfire and stirring up those who hold creationist views. If you search the key words on my site, you'll find that from time to time I've been involved in these controversies. In particular, where 'Expelled' was concerned I provided a trail of sources that showed that its creators were evangelicals with deep ties to the Discovery Institute, and some posts of mine on that point were widely linked-to during March, when the film was premiered to select audiences. This, above all, is probably why I am still drawing hits on 'Expelled'.

Eamon Knight said...

Ha! That biologist character is obviously PZ with his beard shaved, on the run from hordes of crazed Bill Donohue clones. No wonder the guy's so on edge! Yo, PZ dude: "Smith" is a nice generic name, but keeping the "Zachary" part really blows the cover.