Shots in the Dark

In Japan, threats from right-wing nationalists have so intimidated movie theater owners that no one will show The Cove, the Academy Award-winning documentary about dolphin slaughter and mercury-contaminated fish in Japan.

The Times reports,

Other areas that have been effectively made taboo by the right wing include Japan’s royal family, rights for ethnic minorities, Tokyo’s occupation of parts of Asia in the last century, the nation’s role in World War II and organized crime groups, many of which have close links with the far right.

Scary!

Update: Six theaters in Japan will show the movie, despite protests, according to the AP.

In the version of “The Cove” intended for release in Japan, the faces of most Japanese are blurred out, unlike the U.S. version. Disclaimers have been added, including one that says that data presented in the movie were gathered by and are the responsibility of the film’s creators. The movie cites information about mercury levels in dolphins and falsely labeled dolphin meat that has been challenged by government officials.

Progress of sorts, I supppose.

The Times reports that scientists are investigating whether a dead sperm whale found floating on the surface of the Gulf was killed by British Petroleum.

Will this environmental tragedy never end?

In the Times, John Tierney writes about congressional legislation, already passed by the House, almost certainly inspired by Larry Summers’ women-in-science gaffe.

This proposed law, if passed by the Senate, would require the White House science adviser to oversee regular “workshops to enhance gender equity.” At the workshops, to be attended by researchers who receive federal money and by the heads of science and engineering departments at universities, participants would be given before-and-after “attitudinal surveys” and would take part in “interactive discussions or other activities that increase the awareness of the existence of gender bias.”

Tierney, who has always been a Summers defender, argues that the former president of Harvard was unfairly pilloried and that recent studies, particularly one at Duke, seem to bear out the idea of genetic differences in intelligence between men and women (some favoring men, some not).

In a second column, Tierney examines the question of whether women are discriminated against in the sciences. His answer: Doubtful.

…last year a task force of the National Academy of Sciences concluded from its investigation of 500 science departments that by and large, men and women “enjoyed comparable opportunities within the university.” The task force reported that at major research universities, female candidates “had a better chance of being interviewed and receiving offers than male job candidates had.”

So why are there still so many more men than women in math and science departments?

Tierney’s answer:

…The gap in science seems due mainly to another difference between the sexes: men are more interested in working with things, while women are more interested in working with people.

Hmmm. This seems like the kind of sociological explanation that will be debunked as quickly as it is proposed.

What I’d agree with Tierney on—though he hasn’t said it yet, at least not in so many words—is the absurdity of government-mandated science panels to redress gender equity. It’s virtually impossible to imagine that succeeding in the real world, and surely the government must have more deft tools at its disposal.

That said, I’d posit that the goal is not to mandate gender equity in the sciences—is this an absolute good?—but to eliminate gender discrimination….

…I did manage to order my new iPhone. Thank God.

The company I now hate is ESPN, which won’t let you watch World Cup games online unless you have a certain Internet provider. If you don’t, you get this prompt:

<<How to Get Access to ESPN3.com <http://ESPN3.com>
ESPN3.com <http://ESPN3.com> is available at no charge to fans who receive their high-speed internet connection from an ESPN3.com<http://ESPN3.com> affiliated internet service provider. ESPN3.com <http://ESPN3.com> is also available to fans that access the internet from U.S. college campuses and U.S. military bases.

Your current computer network falls outside of these categories. Here’s how you can get access to ESPN3.com <http://ESPN3.com> .Please select your internet service provider from the list. If you can’t find yours, select “Not Found” at the bottom.>>

Good move, ESPN. You force millions of potential watchers like me (think of the ad revenue) to head over to Univision to watch on that website all in the hope that people are going to change their Internet provider to watch the World Cup. Idiotic. You could have people in offices all over the world watching (if they lack a TV in the office), but no….

Meanwhile, people keep sending me pictures of scantily-clad World Cup fans, as if that’s something I’d be interested in. Apparently there’s a controversy over beer and pretty women. (I will say to France: You can do better.)

“It is a tragedy of the first proportion that a private corporation can be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown, in this case a $20 billion shakedown.”

—Texas Republican congressman Joe Barton, the ranking minority member of the House Energy and Commerce committee, to BP chairman Tony Hayward, this morning.

Speaking of shakedowns, Barton has received $100,470 in oil and gas company contributions since the beginning of 2009—an astonishing number which is far greater than that of any other committee member.

Why won’t they let me order a new iPhone?

(The hyperlink takes you an Apple page, but the error comes when Apple tries to verify your account information through AT&T. Unbelievably annoying.)

The thing I don’t like about most music videos is that they rarely show the band in question actually playing. That’s what’s kind of neat about this one, featuring Zero 7 performing a song called Ghost Symbol.

If you don’t know ’em, Zero 7 are what’s called electronica, which typically doesn’t translate very well live—too many machines. But I love the way this video shows a band incorporating technology and traditional instruments to come up with something quite weird and beautiful. You can tell: These guys really know what they’re doing.

If you’re interested in economics and the economy, you might enjoy this interview I did with Nouriel Roubini in Worth.

Globe columnist Alex Beam has linked to my interviews with photographer Nina Berman on the Globe’s “Culture Watch” blog.

There is a fascinating, real-world discussion of copyright privilege vs. fair use claims over at Richard Bradley’s blog, between him and photographer Nina Berman….

Let me also respond to a couple reader comments.

Beecham, I ran the interview as an interview because I wanted people to be able to see the discussion in its most unfiltered form.

Also, researching, conducting, transcribing and editing that interview, then posting it with relevant hyperlinks, probably took two or three days of work. Until I figure out a way to get paid for doing this—and I’m not sure I want to be—I just didn’t have the time for more interpretation, etc.

Mad@er, I can understand Berman’s comments about wanting to move on from the story. It can sound heartless, but I think it’s actually the reverse; I know from experience that, if you linger too long around the subjects of a story, it can start to feel exploitative and unhealthy. Which is not to say that you use people and then discard them—that’s one extreme—but to suggest that there is a point where your continued involvement isn’t good for anyone.

Carlyle, I’ll do my best to credit those photos ASAP. I have to get Vinny the tech guy involved for that, though, and he’s as busy as I am.

And no, I have no idea who took the baseball shot of me.

Thanks again to all who took the time to read the discussion, and particularly to the commenters. I hope it’s prompted some interesting thoughts or exchanges for you.

Shots in the Dark reader Tam Whitmore wrote the following comment, and I’m sure that he/she would love any suggestions from other readers. (Particularly non-snarky ones.)

I have followed your blog for several years, and enjoy the access to your ideas, and those of the well informed people who comment on your site. Now I have a dilemma, and wonder if you would have any ideas…My son was just admitted to Harvard College, but, alas (or is it a cause for celebration?) on the z-list, thus mandating a gap year. What suggestions (not generalities like travel or do community service) do you have for him…(we live in a small-medium sized town and aren’t in the East Coast metropolitan area, and therefore he hasn’t got local options that appeal, or any contacts in NYC or Cambridge). He plans to study economics, would love to be an intern at a business, work as a statistician, do back office research…who knows. And, who, after all, would offer an internship to anyone who’s 17, even if talented? Maybe in the current economic environment Harvard’s z-list is an anachronism, as students out of high school may not have access to appealing options. I do know that Princeton has begun sponsoring a bridge year program for their students who would like to work in Africa for a year between high school and college, but the Princeton program is not open to students from other schools. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Any suggestions?