Comments on: Me Versus the World http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/09/05/me-versus-the-world/ I am an astronomer, writer, and skeptic. I likes reality the way it is, and I aims to keep it that way. My real name is Phil Plait, and I run the Bad Astronomy blog. Fri, 25 May 2012 04:31:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Undeniable http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/09/05/me-versus-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-415540 Undeniable Fri, 09 Sep 2011 10:18:29 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=36780#comment-415540 I listened to this interview all the way through. One thing which jumped out at me was your criticism of "deniers" "moving the goalposts". I fail to see any logical or other problem with this. AGW is not a single issue but a chain of reasoning and it is possible, indeed probable that one might have multiple objections to the idea. For instance, it is perfectly possible to question paleolithic temperature reconstructions AND satellite temperature measurements AND projected sea level rise, to pick three things more or less at random from a virtually endless list. If it then turns out that one objection is false, it does not mean that one is then somehow wrong to 'move' to (focus on) other objections. It has also to be said that the AGW side has itself moved the goalposts, at least from the perspective of public perception. From 'new ice age' (as was reported in the 70's, whether the majority of scientists believed it or not) to 'runaway global warming' to just plain 'global warming' to 'climate change' to 'climate disruption' (I think that means bad weather). I listened to this interview all the way through. One thing which jumped out at me was your criticism of “deniers” “moving the goalposts”. I fail to see any logical or other problem with this. AGW is not a single issue but a chain of reasoning and it is possible, indeed probable that one might have multiple objections to the idea. For instance, it is perfectly possible to question paleolithic temperature reconstructions AND satellite temperature measurements AND projected sea level rise, to pick three things more or less at random from a virtually endless list. If it then turns out that one objection is false, it does not mean that one is then somehow wrong to ‘move’ to (focus on) other objections.

It has also to be said that the AGW side has itself moved the goalposts, at least from the perspective of public perception. From ‘new ice age’ (as was reported in the 70′s, whether the majority of scientists believed it or not) to ‘runaway global warming’ to just plain ‘global warming’ to ‘climate change’ to ‘climate disruption’ (I think that means bad weather).

]]> By: Josie http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/09/05/me-versus-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-414303 Josie Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:25:03 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=36780#comment-414303 Whoa! I've been listening to Octale & Hordak Versus the World for about 5 years! (That was the previous incarnation of his show --focusing on gaming and a lot of World of Warcraft) Looking forward to hearing your episode :D edit...on closer read...it looks like you got interviewed by the OTHER Todd :P I've been listening to HIS shows since he started Casually Hardcore a few years ago...I spend a lot of time with an earbud installed in my left ear. Whoa!

I’ve been listening to Octale & Hordak Versus the World for about 5 years! (That was the previous incarnation of his show –focusing on gaming and a lot of World of Warcraft)

Looking forward to hearing your episode :D

edit…on closer read…it looks like you got interviewed by the OTHER Todd :P I’ve been listening to HIS shows since he started Casually Hardcore a few years ago…I spend a lot of time with an earbud installed in my left ear.

]]> By: Keith Bowden http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/09/05/me-versus-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-414259 Keith Bowden Tue, 06 Sep 2011 17:31:10 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=36780#comment-414259 Sigh. I'm behind in my podcasts as it is and here's another one to load up. Thanks! (Actually, I mean that. Thank you!) Sigh. I’m behind in my podcasts as it is and here’s another one to load up. Thanks! (Actually, I mean that. Thank you!)

]]> By: Messier Tidy Upper http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/09/05/me-versus-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-414097 Messier Tidy Upper Tue, 06 Sep 2011 05:45:40 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=36780#comment-414097 PS. Good talk BA - thanks. :-) Like your newly invented theme sound too - you'll have to be introduced with it in future radio programs! ;-) PS. Good talk BA – thanks. :-)

Like your newly invented theme sound too – you’ll have to be introduced with it in future radio programs! ;-)

]]> By: Messier Tidy Upper http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/09/05/me-versus-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-414059 Messier Tidy Upper Tue, 06 Sep 2011 01:25:45 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=36780#comment-414059 <blockquote><i> .. attacks on science, global warming (which is on my mind a lot lately), and the like.</i></blockquote> If only we <b>were</b> seriously attacking the problem of Human Induced Rapid Global Overheating (HIRGO) rather attacking than the scientists who are studying it. :-( Memo for all the climate contrarians out there keen to post on how you think the problem that 97% of the climatological experts agree is real, isn't - before you post anything please check out : http://www.skepticalscience.com/argument.php & http://greenfyre.wordpress.com/climate-denial-crock-of-the-week/#sense & http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52KLGqDSAjo (The third link there being the first in an excellent Youtube series on the topic.) Because, chances are, whatever argument against HIRGO you were thinking of mentioning here it's already been debunked repeatedly.

.. attacks on science, global warming (which is on my mind a lot lately), and the like.

If only we were seriously attacking the problem of Human Induced Rapid Global Overheating (HIRGO) rather attacking than the scientists who are studying it. :-(

Memo for all the climate contrarians out there keen to post on how you think the problem that 97% of the climatological experts agree is real, isn’t – before you post anything please check out :

http://www.skepticalscience.com/argument.php

&

http://greenfyre.wordpress.com/climate-denial-crock-of-the-week/#sense

&

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52KLGqDSAjo

(The third link there being the first in an excellent Youtube series on the topic.)

Because, chances are, whatever argument against HIRGO you were thinking of mentioning here it’s already been debunked repeatedly.

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