Piltdown Hoax

The Piltdown Hoax dates back to the discovery of "human" fossils by British paleontologist, Charles Dawson in 1912. Dawson, along with the company of Woodward another archeologist, and French priest Teilhard de Chardin, was able to dig up fossils that were believed to belong to a deceased human being. When first looked at, the fossil appeared to be a deteriorated human jaw bone, most identifiable by its flat, smooth molars. This finding was very significant due to the fact that at the time very little was known of human fossil remains and it ultimately proved that Charles Darwin's theory of evolution was correct. Ultimately in 1953, the news that Piltdown man was a fake rocked the science community worldwide. When tested, it was confirmed that the "Piltdown Man" was a hoax; the jaw and skull had been stained and the teeth had been filed down to appear as a human's. Major criticism was placed upon British scientists for being gullible and not taking the time to properly analyze the Dawson's findings from 1912.

Often human faults come are found within the scientific community although scientists in modern days make an effort to keep them away. As seen through the Piltdown Hoax, scientists do and are capable of making mistakes. The human faults of overlooking and under-analyzing led the British scientists involved with this case to believe that the fossils were indeed human. Sometimes in the rush of excitement and discovery human beings tend to accept things as they are without speculation or second thought. I believe that in this particular hoax/case, that is exactly what happened.

The positive scientific aspects that were responsible for proving that the Piltdown Man was a hoax were a series of experiments and tests. One of these tests was a preliminary fluorine absorption test which ultimately proved that the fossil found by Dawson in 1912 had been stained. Although the reason for the staining remains unknown, it is interesting to notice that no scientist had realized this prior to the discovery of the hoax. Another test ran was the microscopic view of the teeth located on what was believed to be a human mandible. The teeth were in fact proven to had been filed down to create a rather flat look much resembling the structure of human teeth. Multiple scratches from whatever tool that was used to do so were found.

I do believe that it is possible to remove the human factor from science to reduce the chance of future occurrences such as the Piltdown Hoax from happening again. Perhaps a way to do so would be to ensure that scientists thoroughly analyze a fossil or any organism for that matter to ensure that it  is what they perceive it to be. This should always be done, especially before proclaiming things that could change the history and world of science forever. I would not want the human factor to be removed from science because the errors themselves have led scientists to greater discoveries. Science is all about trial and error and learning what is true from what is false, and I believe that without the human fault factor, science would really not be possible.

The lesson that I am able to take from the Piltdown Hoax is that not everything is as it seems. Although it is okay to get caught up in the happiness and excitement that discovery brings along, it is never alright to assume and not question one's findings. Questioning the truth is not always a bad thing and is sometimes necessary to determine what is true and what is false. This thinking ideology     can apply to other things in life outside of science. It is always better to doubt yourself and ensure that you are correct rather than proclaiming things with false evidence.