Overselling Ida

IT’S a shame when the demands of the media overshadow those of science. The closely managed razzmatazz that accompanied the debut of Ida – the fossil “that could change everything” about our ancestry – ensured that everyone was talking about her for a day or two. But it also meant that no one was allowed to see the relevant paper until after the event, so there was little chance to seek disinterested comment on the researchers’ claim (see “What you should know about chiropractic”). By the time doubts about Ida’s role in our past emerged, the circus had moved on.