Strange Culture: The Steve Kurtz Case

The Steve Kurtz case is an interesting one because of its unique circumstance. This man was charged with mail fraud after the FBI desperately tried to find something illegal they could call him out on. The high profile nature of this case allowed it to become an example of how the "public amateur" is looked upon by the government. Because Kurtz was not a professional scientist, it seems that his biological studies were assumed to be illegitimate, or even harmful. The article, "Trials of the Public Amateur" by Claire Pentecost says talks about how the government prefers scientists to be professional, and working privately for them. They do not want people doing any type of research in their own homes, for fear something of interesting or detrimental nature would be discovered with out their knowledge. Though freedom of science may not be something we think about on a daily basis, this case brings an unlikely issue to the forefront. Why shouldn't scientific materials be traded, like ideas, words, or art? Thankfully, Steve Kurtz had the resources to make this a public issue. If he had not been something of a public figure ( a professor at a university), this case most likely would never have surfaced. The case serves to bring attention to the issue of the government's involvement with the work of the "public amateur" and how they interfere with the growth of independent knowledge that goes on outside of their view. The case itself, along with the film "Strange Culture" forces viewers to give thought to their feelings on issues such as the patriot act, and to what extent they really want to be "protected" by the government.