LOL - Well considering the World has thousands of Scientists more highly valued in many fields of science than Michael Crichton I can only say that he must have been asked to speak due to his celebrity like status. Though he has a degree in science it is not a career path he chose, which to me is sort of like asking a jet mechanic from 30 years ago to work on your brand new jet. He might have the basics but he certainly will not be up to date on current technology, and you would be much better off having a currently certified (not previously certified) mechanic work on your jet.
As with most of these types of discussions, both sides have good valid points. Unfortunately some don't use actual verifiable scientific studies in their presentation but rather take things out of context to make it sensational so that viewers will watch. If it were presented as just science then most users would not watch it because it would be boring as heck.
