Thor Heyerdahl, a Norwegian zoologist, explains how he develops a theory on how the Pacific islands were originally settled from South America. While on a zoological expedition with his wife to the island of Fatu Hiva, they discuss the constant trade winds that blow from east to west, Thor's first piece of the puzzle. Had people from South America, 4,000 nautical miles away, taken advantage of the trade winds at some remote time in the past?
After writing a full presentation of his hypothesis, Thor tries to bring it forward in New York City, where his ideas are rejected without examination by the scientific community. Thor has committed the cardinal sin of stepping out of his area of specialization. One of his critics snidely suggests that if Thor thinks South Americans sailed to Polynesia on rafts, he.....
