[mbauman]

That's quite amusing; you don't see the connection between "magical powers" and sidelining real intellectual achievements?

Also, Madden is not a master's student anymore. He's a 62 year old doctoral candidate and the lead author on this study.

[sublinear]

I do see the connection. That was my point. We went from overt racism (by the oppressors alleged by NBC) to covert racism (by NBC themselves). We could have done without the virtue signaling.

I also say "alleged" because in most cases those oppressors are the other half of the family tree for the people we have alive today we're calling some particular outgroup. News organizations like NBC used to treat these topics with more care to avoid "othering" and full awareness that modern subjects are a mixed people with a ton of nuance. This is the USA, for crying out loud.

Now if you really want your "woosh", let's consider the stereotype of native americans owning casinos, and this article is about their ancient dice. :-)

[mbauman]

I think you misunderstand me. I'm saying that your "ton of random stories constantly being published about Native Americans apparently being secret geniuses with magical powers" are _themselves_ evidence of exactly the sort of unserious reporting that the researcher (NOT NBC) claims; they sideline and obscure the realities of the intellectual aspects.

[sublinear]

I don't know if you're aware how editors choose what and how to publish, or how much of the journalist's writing gets thrown out.

NBC decided what to assign to the journalist, decided the goals the editor should have in mind, approved the editor's decisions, and ultimately let it publish.

When they push these stories and present them this way, the archaeologist is by far the least to blame even if I disagree with their words.

I'm already aware of the crazy reasons people do the work they love. It's just how the world goes 'round. NBC could have left that crap out along with the other stuff they cut.

I'm very confident the interview was much longer. Neither the interviewees nor journalists have any idea how the story will be spun. Some of these interviews drag on for so long it's practically interrogation tactics to see what shakes out.

It is indeed NBC's decision to focus on the "dice" out of all the artifacts shown. It is NBC's decision to choose the most sensational quotes to run with. It is NBC's decision to go looking for the most colorful people to interview and tap them whenever they want to push a theme.

[fzeroracer]

Calling something 'virtue signalling' in 2026 is in itself a form of virtue signalling as to what kind of beliefs you hold. Frankly I think we could all do without those things breathlessly clogging up the page because people want to desperately overreach into what someone said for the sake of making an inane point.

[throwawaypath]

Calling 'calling out virtue signalling' 'virtue signalling' in 2026 is in itself a form of virtue signalling as to what kind of beliefs you hold. Frankly I think we could all do without those things breathlessly clogging up the page because people want to desperately overreach into what someone said for the sake of making an inane point.