'Westworld' author now a presidential science advisor

Yes, it's really that bad. Bush's sound energy policy is being shaped in part by an airport paperback author. As opposed to, say, scientists.

Mr. Barnes, who describes Mr. Bush as "a dissenter on the theory of global warming," writes that the president "avidly read" the novel and met the author after Karl Rove, his chief political adviser, arranged it. He says Mr. Bush and his guest "talked for an hour and were in near-total agreement."

"The visit was not made public for fear of outraging environmentalists all the more," he adds.

And so it has, fueling a common perception among environmental groups that Mr. Crichton's dismissal of global warming, coupled with his popularity as a novelist and screenwriter, has undermined efforts to pass legislation intended to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, a gas that leading scientists say causes climate change.

Mr. Crichton, whose views in "State of Fear" helped him win the American Association of Petroleum Geologists' annual journalism award this month, has been a leading doubter of global warming and last September appeared before a Senate committee to argue that the supporting science was mixed, at best.

Has anyone combed over the annual budget for massive handouts to dinosaur-hunting commandos? How about beefing up border security to ensure that we aren't overrun by bald android cowboys? (Especially if they're gay bald android cowboys!) Hey, it could happen! The guy who wrote about it is a presidential advisor!