Discovery's Animal Planet channel aired a pseudo-documentary entitled "Mermaids: The Body Found" in 2012, a purely fictional work. The viewing waters were chummed by casting off with a federal coverup of a discovery involving scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that proved the existence of mermaids. From what I have read , it was a fairly good hoax in most aspects, including the fact that the only declaration of its fictitious build coming just before the credits roll. Professional actors played the rolls of NOAA scientist in reenactments of events that never occurred,,, Wat? (See Snopes - http://www.snopes.com/photos/supernatural/mermaids.asp)
IMO it's sad that the discovery channel has sullied their brand this far in what seems a steady decline from science toward programing targeted at only the most discerning WWF fans, ( and their Budweiser drinkin pitbulls, official WWF action figures & Bop Bags) while slingshotting anything like discovery of truth through the ropes and totally out of the rink.
What's worse, is it actually may work to discourage ppl from examining the possibilities of a little know, and generally discounted evolutionary theory - though true scientific theory. That being, the "aquatic ape" hypothesis, that early Hominid species went through an aquatic phase in their evolution.
I first became aware of the aquatic ape theory after seeing a TED TALK a few years ago. Since I have done a little study and found some compelling supporting evidence - I also found some big holes. Though the current popular 'out of the trees - into the grassland' theory has some holes as well.
So I'm posting the TED Talk (its not so long and the speaker is pretty enertaining regardless) (http://www.ted.com/talks/elaine_morgan_ ... nguage=en# )
Because IMhO it may deserve a bit of thought, and seems less fantastical than scores, or at least a half a dozen other fringe theories, and not so far a field.
IMO it's sad that the discovery channel has sullied their brand this far in what seems a steady decline from science toward programing targeted at only the most discerning WWF fans, ( and their Budweiser drinkin pitbulls, official WWF action figures & Bop Bags) while slingshotting anything like discovery of truth through the ropes and totally out of the rink.
What's worse, is it actually may work to discourage ppl from examining the possibilities of a little know, and generally discounted evolutionary theory - though true scientific theory. That being, the "aquatic ape" hypothesis, that early Hominid species went through an aquatic phase in their evolution.
I first became aware of the aquatic ape theory after seeing a TED TALK a few years ago. Since I have done a little study and found some compelling supporting evidence - I also found some big holes. Though the current popular 'out of the trees - into the grassland' theory has some holes as well.
So I'm posting the TED Talk (its not so long and the speaker is pretty enertaining regardless) (http://www.ted.com/talks/elaine_morgan_ ... nguage=en# )
Because IMhO it may deserve a bit of thought, and seems less fantastical than scores, or at least a half a dozen other fringe theories, and not so far a field.
