Michael Cremo

[[File:Michael Cremo.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Cremo speaking in Bulgaria in 2003]]
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'''Michael Cremo''' {{lived|1948}} is a [[Hare Krishna creationism|Hare Krishna creationist]] responsible for perpetuating much [[woo]] and fodder for [[Conspiracy theories|conspiracy theorists]], particularly through his book ''Forbidden Archaeology'', which he co-wrote with Richard L. Thompson, another Vedic creationist. He believes that modern humans, i.e. ''Homo sapiens'', have lived on the earth for billions of years with little or no alteration to their biological characteristics. He sometimes writes books on Hindu spirituality under the pseudonym of Drutakarma Dāsa.

One of the [[Conspiracy theories|core notions]] in Cremo's ''Forbidden Archaeology'' is the [[Argument by assertion|assertion]] that [[conspiracy|a system of knowledge filtration]] exists within [[archaeology]] (and by inference, [[List of conspiracy theories#Scientific conspiracy theories|the greater scientific community]]). This [[Conspiracy theories|"explanation"]] conveniently makes it possible for Cremo to reject the (literal and literally) mountains of evidence contradicting his [[Pseudohistory|pseudohistorical]] and [[Pseudoscience|pseudoscientific]] [[Bullshit|claptrap]].

However, this system of "knowledge filtration" does echo the dynamics behind the "conceptual continuity" that define vast periods of science and are described in Kuhn's {{wpl|The Structure of Scientific Revolutions|''The Structure of Scientific Revolutions''|.}} These periods are only interrupted with the rise of a new paradigm where scientists warm to new questions of old data and map new lines of research. Unlike Cremo's knowledge filtration, however, conceptual continuity is not conspiratorial but is conducted in the open using the [[scientific method]].

==Credentialism==
{{main|Credentialism}}
According to his own autobiography, Cremo has no scientific education.<ref name="autobio">http://www.mcremo.com/cremo.htm</ref> His website though proudly lists his membership in several professional associations. Looking into the admission criteria of these organizations, it is clear that membership is not tied to expertise: <!-- Awkward, improve -->

* the [http://www.hssonline.org/ History of Science Society] admits everyone willing to pay the annual fees;<ref>http://www.hssonline.org/about/society_statutes.html#membership</ref> they have also produced a statement on [[evolution]] that contradicts Cremo's ideas<ref>http://www.hssonline.org/about/society_evolution.html</ref>
* the [http://philsci.org/ Philosophy of Science Association] has three types of members - "full", "associate" and "student".<ref>http://philsci.org/about/bylaws.html, ARTICLE II. Membership and Dues</ref> Only full membership requires any professional credentials. The PSA also shares an online membership directory with the HSS, but as of November 2010, Cremo is not listed in it as a member of any of the two organizations.<ref>https://subfill.uchicago.edu/Societies/HSS-PSA/HSS-PSAMembership.html</ref>
* the [http://www.worldarchaeologicalcongress.org/ World Archeological Congress] is open to everyone willing to pay the annual fees<ref>http://www.worldarchaeologicalcongress.org/site/join.php</ref>
* the [http://www.e-a-a.org/ European Association of Archaeologists] accepts both "full" and "associate" members.<ref>http://www.e-a-a.org/memcats.htm</ref> Only professional archaeologists can be full members. Cremo's autobiography does not specify what kind of membership he has and there is no online members directory.

Cremo is also a "associate member of the Bhaktivedanta Institute specializing in history and philosophy of science."<ref name="autobio"/> The BI is "the scientific research branch of the [[International Society for Krishna Consciousness]]", according to his own website.<ref>http://www.mcremo.com/bi.html</ref> 'Nuff said.

==External links==
*[http://www.mcremo.com Official website]
*[http://talkorigins.org/faqs/mom/groves.html Creationism: The Hindu View], a review of ''Forbidden Archeology''
*[http://talkorigins.org/faqs/mom/lepper.html Hidden History, Hidden Agenda], a review of ''The Hidden History of the Human Race''
*[http://www.ramtops.co.uk/tarzia.html Forbidden Archaeology: Antievolutionism Outside the Christian Arena], Wade Tarzia
*[http://www.flonnet.com/fl2301/stories/20060127003309700.htm Vedic creationism in America], Meera Nanda

==References==
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[[ru:Майкл Кремо]]

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[[Category:Hindus]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Pseudohistory promoters]]

Categories: Hindus, Living people, Pseudohistory promoters