Greenfield's defenders - and the scientist herself - say that she has been misrepresented, that sensationalist journalists may have distorted her measured attempts to prompt discussion and highlight gaps in research.
We are losing ground, but that's the time when, more than ever, we need to glance back at the progressive crusades of a century ago to take note of what has been forgotten, or rather what braying blowhards like Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck have been distorting or attempting to flush down the memory hole.
Moreover, if the record of the past were to be destroyed by organized lying, or be distorted by an attempt to rewrite history, political life would be deprived of one of its essential and stabilizing elements.
Speusippus and Xenocrates, among others, were part of a revival of interest in Pythagoreanism within the Academy; it is often thought that in the course of this revival Pythagorean views became distorted through the attempt to assimilate them to the views of one or another member of the Academy: the revival plainly involved Academicians adopting the views they were ascribing to the Pythagoreans.
Grzegorz Majchrzak, a historian of the Polish Institute of National Remembrance, questions Boniek's words, positing that he might have distorted events in an attempt to distance himself from Terlecki.
Over recent decades, our system has been increasingly distorted by futile and pointless attempts to make state schools look more like private schools.
There have been a number of attempts to create "distorted realities" online through online shows and games, but few of these have managed to take off – users generally find it hard to suspend their disbelief enough to enjoy themselves.
Just last week, White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters accused Shaub of "distorting facts and attempting to tarnish the White House for purposes of a partisan agenda" in response to concerns he shared about White House lawyer and "designated agency ethics official" Stefan Passantino.
"It's a shame that as parties take steps in trying to open up politics to include more supporters and members of the public in sharing big decisions, it has not taken long for a cynical attempt to distort that and sabotage a genuine effort," Hughes said.
