Its nice to see people going to their Republican representatives and telling them to get real, but I would have hoped the crowds were larger and the instances of activism of this sort more common. This is from the DCCC:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COAAbPDclug&w=480&h=390]
On the face of it, it is impossible. Cosmic rays vary over time, and climate varies over time, and the two variations do not correspond. Global temperature has been going up over the last century, in correspondence with increased of atmospheric CO2, and this makes sense because the physics says that CO2 is a greenhouse gas, and this whole global warming thing is a greenhouse effect. Bringing cosmic rays into the situation seems both unnecessary and difficult to do.
But it turns out that there is a cosmic ray – climate connection which is interesting if it turns out to be true. But this connection is NOT any kind of link between cosmic rays and global warming. Cosmic rays do not cause global warming. Did you read that last sentence? OK, good.
A small “Signal-to-Noise Ratio” means that there is not enough real information (signal) compared to the background noise to make a definitive statement about something. With a sufficiently high Signal-to-Noise Ratio, it is possible to make statistically valid statements about some measure or observation. This applies to a lot of day to day decisions you make in life.
Climate change denialists understand this principle and they use it to try to fool people into thinking that “the jury is still out” on Global Warming, or that scientists are making up their data, and so on. Here, I want to explain very clearly what a Signal-to-Noise Ratio is and now it works in a totally understandable way; What this means for understanding Global Climate Change (in particular, warming); and to point you to an excellent paper (“Separating Signal and Noise in Atmospheric Temperature Changes: The Importance of Timescale”) about to be published by Ben Santer and several other authors. Sander’s paper effectively puts an end to Climate Change denialists misuse of data which has come to be known as “cherry picking” but that I prefer to call “dishonesty.”
Continue reading Global Warming: Separating the noise from the signal
At least with respect to one issue: Science.
You all know that Texas had a messy Board of Education fight over whether to teach good science or something else (creationism) in Texas schools. You also know by now what Texas Governor Rock Perry, whom we count as a presidential contender, made the statement in public that “we teach both creationism and evolution in our public schools — because I figure you’re smart enough to figure out which one is right.” (This is totally incorrect, of course.)
Perry is now raising funds in Texas for his run at the Oval Office, and there is a fundraiser coming up hosted by wealthy Texan and former GOP gubernatorial nominee Clayton Williams. It turns out that Williams was concerned some time back about the effects of hitching the statewide Republican Platform to the anti-science unicorn, and told Perry this in a letter, which said:
“If Texas enters into a debate on the teaching of fundamental religious beliefs in public schools, it will tarnish our strong academic reputation, set our ability to attract top science and engineering talent to Texas back decades and severely impact our reputation as a national and global leader in energy, space, medicine and other high tech fields … Governor, this is a very important issue for Texas. I urge you to quell this issue quietly, firmly and permanently.â€
Perry ignored this advice.
The story is here. That news site allows comments, so you may consider taking the opportunity to put a word in for science!
In the United States, you have a right to “bear arms.” This has a special meaning which has largely been distorted by the courts, but nonetheless stands as a fundamental. Many gun owners, unfortunately, not only abuse this right but also go far beyond gun ownership to do things that while technically allowable under the First Amendment, are wrong, and that they should not do.
Continue reading Guns: A constitutional right is not what you think it is
NASA is giving the public the power to journey through the solar system using a new interactive Web-based tool.
The “Eyes on the Solar System” interface combines video game technology and NASA data to create an environment for users to ride along with agency spacecraft and explore the cosmos. Screen graphics and information such as planet locations and spacecraft maneuvers use actual space mission data.
“This is the first time the public has been able to see the entire solar system and our missions moving together in real time,” said Jim Green, director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division at the agency’s Headquarters in Washington. “It demonstrates NASA’s continued commitment to share our science with everyone.”
The virtual environment uses the Unity game engine to display models of planets, moons, asteroids, comets and spacecraft as they move through our solar system. With keyboard and mouse controls, users cruise through space to explore anything that catches their interest. A free browser plug-in, available at the site, is required to run the Web application.
“You are now free to move about the solar system,” said Blaine Baggett, executive manager in the Office of Communication and Education at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif. “See what NASA’s spacecraft see — and where they are right now — all without leaving your computer.”
I’m not sure how close Michele Bachmann is to Gary DeMar, but they have shared a podium and there is a certain similarity between positions held by Bachmann, her husband1, Bradlee Dean and DeMar.
DeMar has written:
Homosexuals who practice behind closed doors are out-of-bounds for the courts, of course, unless others witness their criminal behavior. Such behavior may not be dealt with by courts in history, but will be dealt with by God, either in history (e.g., AIDS) or eternity. The law that requires the death penalty for homosexual acts effectually drives the perversion of homosexuality underground, back to the closet, to the dark realm of shameful activity.
…
…we must elect public officials who say they will vote for Biblical laws. First and foremost, this means voting to prohibit abortion. While few Christians are willing to go this far, the longterm goal should be the execution of abortionists and parents who hire them. If we argue that abortion is murder, then we must call for the death penalty. If abortionists are not supposed to be executed, then they are not murderers, and if they are not murderers, why do we want to abolish abortion? In short, Christians must learn to think consistently.
DMB has the details here and Joe My God does too.
This guy really wants to kill all the gays, and he really is part of Bachmann’s “Take Back America” movement. And by “Take Back America” I think they mean “Take American From The Sane People.”
________________________
1I mention Michele’s husband because she has explicitly stated that according to her deeply held belief system, she runs all of her decisions by her husband for approval, and it appears that he has veto power. Thus, no consideration of Michele’s stance on issues or ability to perform in office can ever be made without a consideration of his as well. This is unfortunate and rather medieval, but true.
I just posted a summary of the latest rather startling event in Cloud Gate, the curent scandal in the Climate Change Denialist world:
CloudGate: Denialism Gets Dirty, Reputations Are At Stake
Please go have a look and leave any questions you have. If I can’t help you with the questions, I’ll find someone who can.
Meanwhile, this latest event, which involves the resignation of the Editor-in-Chief of a peer reviewed scientific journal, has created a lot of discussion in a very short period of time. Thus, the link farm to help you keep track:
The Original Paper is here.
Wolfgang Wagner’s resignation … is here (pdf).
Blog posts and press reports about the resignation:
There has been a major dust-up in the climate denialist world. A study published in late July made false claims and was methodologically flawed, but still managed to get published in a peer reviewed journal. The Editor-in-Chief of that journal has resigned to symbolically take responsibility for the journal’s egregious error of publishing what is essentially a fake scientific paper, and to “protest against how the authors [and others] have much exaggerated the paper’s conclusions” taking to task the University of Alabama’s press office, Forbes, Fox News and others.
Let me break it down for you
Continue reading CloudGate: Denialism Gets Dirty, Reputations Are At Stake
As you know, I’ve started a bit of blogging at The X Blog. Please check out my latest post …
Evolution is real. Creationism is not. Why are emails from creationists often published in respectable newspapers? There is a reason, and I’ll tell you what it is below. (Preview: It is your fault.)…
Bigfoot is not real, yet there are many believers. Â And some of these believers write letters to the editors of local newspapers.
No one has ever been abducted by aliens.  Alien abductees certainly write letters to newspapers.  I knew a guy who could see and hear scenes from ancient times on the surfaces of some round rocks he found, and as his disease progressed, on the tiles in his bathroom.  I know he wrote letters to the editors because he cc’ed them to me!
Yet, we do not see these emails published in the newspapers. The newspapers weed them out.
Evolution is real. Â Creationism is not. Â Why are emails from creationists often published in respectable newspapers? There is a reason, and I’ll tell you what it is below. (Preview: It is your fault.)
Yes, yes, I get that creationism is part of certain religions, and therefore newspaper editors may feel obliged to print this material. But there are many other things that are part of various mainstream religions that we do not see in letters to the editors of modern newspapers. Â Newspapers are not printing any rants about food taboos not being followed; or about people failing to take their hats off or put them on in the correct setting, or forgetting to cross themselves at the altar or eating fish on Thursday instead of Friday. Â Few letters say anything overt about being saved by Jesus, and none that I know of say what I hear the street-corner soap-box preachers telling me as I walk by them. Â These are all things that are part of religion but being part of religion does not get them on the editorial pages of modern newspapers.
OK, a quick caveat. Â Yes, you do see crazy stuff in the letters to the editor section of newspapers, and perhaps you know of (and can point to) examples. But major cities have “local” newspapers that are supposed to be above all this. Minneapolis’ Star Tribune (“The Strib”) is one of those. Â
Yet we saw this just the other day:
EVOLUTION
What is unobservable is a theory — no moreWithin the species, evolution can be observed and scrutinized in the development of new life forms such as variants of corn and cattle. … However, evolutionists and creationists diverge where observation ends and ideology takes over.
… One does not actually see a life form generating the next level from conception to birth outside of its boundary that serves as an invisible wall.
…
But where it is unobservable, it may still be considered a construction of the mind — a theory. Political candidates who refer to creationism in less than a negative manner need not be demeaned.
JAMES SCHACHER, Blaine
In this case, the Strib ran this rant side by side with an “evolution is for real” letter written by Arnold Erickson of Mesa, Arizona. Nice. The two letters were debating the validity of a point made by Richard Dawkins concerning the lack of understanding of science by Michel Bachmann, Ron Paul and other political candidates running for the Republican nomination this election cycle.
The Strib has demonstrated that it subscribes to the policy of there being “two sides” to every story (even though this is not true) and they’ve demonstrated that they can’t find anyone in Minnesota who thinks evolution is real. Thanks for that, Star Tribune.
But enough complaining. It seems to me that it is quite possible to do something about this, and here’s where we see how this is all your fault, and that only you can fix it.
The logic is simple: Major, credible newspapers do not publish letters to the editor from those with delusions, poorly informed individuals, or plain old cranks who think they’ve seen bigfoot, were abducted by aliens, have proof that Jimmy Carter was seen in Fukushima’s nuclear power plant just before the meltdown or insist that rocks speak to them. Why, then, would they publish letters from people who deny basic science, including well established aspects of Evolutionary Biology as well as the firmly established findings of Climate Science?
They avoid the former because it would be embarrassing, they practice the latter because it brings in readership and so far has not brought sufficient ire to bear on the editorial staff. Because you haven’t told them that they are doing it wrong.
As a person with fingers and an internet connection (or equivalents) you can tell them how you feel about this. If you happen to subscribe to a newspaper that has published this sort of drek, you can tell them that their credibility is at risk and this causes you view renewal of your subscription as unlikely. This might be especially effective if you currently subscribe to your local newspaper via one of these new, experimental iPad or Smart Phone apps.
In this case, the offending newspaper is the Star Tribune of Minneapolis, Minnesota. You can send off a few emails and tell them what you think. I make it easy for you:
The letter in question, quoted in part above, is here. Right at the top of the page.
Here are some suggestions as to whom you might email:
Michael J. Klingensmith
Publisher and CEO
612.673.7576
michael.klingensmith@startribune.com
Nancy Barnes
Editor and Senior Vice President
612.673.7937
nancyb@startribune.com
Scott Gillespie
Editor
612.673.4516
sgillespie@startribune.com
Jeff Griffing
Chief Revenue Officer, Advertising
jeff.griffing@startribune.com
Don’t just sit there. Take action!
Well, then not only are going to a) go to hell but also b) to jail if you get caught and c) Sunshine State Republicans want to make sure that does not change.
UPDATE: There’s a poll of sorts at the Sun Sentinel, here.
What do you think of the cohabitation law?. What do you think?
- Heck yeah, we live in 2011. Who doesn’t co-habitate?
- No way, there’s a reason this is the law.
- I’m not sure.
As you can see, it is very well written and carefully thought out. Currently, “Heck” is winning.
Well, one Florida GOPer is trying to get this law and some other irrelevant legislation repealed. Like the law that says you must keep both hands on the handlebars when riding a bike. But the socially conservative wing of the party (i.e., almost all of them) are resisting.
The stupid laws, like the one against co-habitation and the one about how to ride a bike, should be enforced to the greatest extent possible, with the most stupid laws enforced first. It would not be long before they are repealed.
And I am not joking. In my home town, the county prosecutor ran for office on the promise that he’d get rid of the county wide blue laws. Of course, as a prosecutor, that was impossible (he does not make laws, only enforces them) but he kept his promise. Within days of being sworn into office he had sheriff’s deputies dragging people in for any violation of any of the blue laws, which were being ignored about half the time. The county legislative body repealed all of those laws very quickly.
So Florida Troopers need to put on their plain clothes and stand around waving at people going by on their bikes. Anybody waves back, and they’re BUSTED. Then, when you’ve got ’em in a choke hold and are slapping on the cuffs, ask them if they are cohabitating or not. And if they are, BUST ‘EM AGAIN.
Do this in a ‘nice’ neighborhood. Those laws will last two weeks, top.
Details here, at Think Progress.
By the way, the guy who is trying to get rid of these laws is Rep. Ritch Workman, R-Melbourne. His motivation is not social progressiveness, but rather, making government smaller, in part by getting rid of laws that make no sense. Of course, getting rid of laws that make so little sense that they are summarily ignored might not make much sense, but whatever…
Here is an extended quote from the Preface of a new publication you may find interesting. I thought it was fascinating:
In 1995, the National Research Council’s (NRC’s) Committee on Space Debris wrote,
The threat that orbital debris poses to international space activities is presently not large, but it may be on the verge of becoming significant. If and when it does, the consequences could be very costly–and extremely difficult to reverse. By contrast, the cost of reducing the growth of the hazard can be relatively low….The committee believes that spacefaring nations should take judicious, timely steps now to understand the risk and agree on ways to reduce it.
At that time, no destructive collisions between active spacecraft and debris or meteoroids2 had been recorded. In addition, the amount of debris in orbit did not include the aftermath of the 2009 Iridium-Cosmos collision and the 2007 on-orbit destruction by the Chinese of a weather satellite as part of an anti-satellite test. Both of those events greatly increased the amount of debris in the near-Earth space environment, thus pushing the threat posed by orbital debris even further toward what was described more than 15 years ago as “on the verge of becoming significant.”
It turns on you….