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| Michael Crichton: "Aliens Cause Global Warming" |
| 2004-12-21 |
| In a lecture at CalTech, Crichton notes how the global warming publicity tsunami repeats other junk science agitprop: global overpopulation, the "green revolution," Nuclear Winter, "secondhand smoke causes cancer". Crichton analyzes the depressingly familiar phenomenon of junk science allied with advocacy groups, an incompetent and reckless MSM, and equally incompetent public officials, to advance "good" public policy causes. ...[Carl Sagan's 1980's-era] "Nuclear Winter" was a meaningless formula, tricked out with bad science, for policy ends. It was political from the beginning, promoted in a well-orchestrated media campaign that had to be planned weeks or months in advance. Further evidence of the political nature of the whole project can be found in the response to criticism. Although Richard Feynman was characteristically blunt, saying, "I really don't think these guys know what they're talking about," other prominent scientists were noticeably reticent. Freeman Dyson was quoted as saying "It's an absolutely atrocious piece of science but
who wants to be accused of being in favor of nuclear war?" And Victor Weisskopf said, "The science is terrible but---perhaps the psychology is good."... ...for most people, the fact that nuclear winter was a scenario riddled with uncertainties did not seem to be relevant. I say it is hugely relevant. Once you abandon strict adherence to what science tells us, once you start arranging the truth in a press conference, then anything is possible. In one context, maybe you will get some mobilization against nuclear war. But in another context, you get Lysenkoism. In another, you get Nazi euthanasia. The danger is always there, if you subvert science to political ends. That is why it is so important for the future of science that the line between what science can say with certainty, and what it cannot, be drawn clearly-- and defended. |
| Posted by:lex |
| #10 Money Quote: "The deterioration of the American media is dire loss for our country. When distinguished institutions like the New York Times can no longer differentiate between factual content and editorial opinion, but rather mix both freely on their front page, then who will hold anyone to a higher standard?" This is the greatest tragedy in the latter part of the 20th and early part of the 21st century. The loss of rational ability of the press, and the politicization of the press. Journalism has become advocacy not reporting. And that is the bigest threat to our democracy. Bigger than Al Quaeda, bigger than Socialism, bigger than Micahel Moore and his prpagandada presented as fact. A republican democracy requires an informed populace to make informed decisions and hold its representatives to matters of FACT. The failure of modern jopurnalism to present "Jus the Facts" as "Joe Friday" once said, is crippling to our democracy. The reason we have so many self deluded people in the Blue states is that they actually beleive the spin, half truths and opinion posted by the MSM as being the whole and actual truth. The problem for them is that reality, as it ever does, tends to be harsh with people who are not cognizant of it. THe Red states are hardly more well informed, but do take a distrustful view - pretty much as Missouris says, the Red States say "Show Me". The problem with this is that eventually a decision must be made and a helathy scepticism soon descends into cynicism which leads to apathy. The Press needs to be taken to task, first in theor organizations and second in the journalism schools. Gather the facts, report the facts. ALL of them. Cover the new, good and bad, and do not leave out stories because you disagree withthem or they are politically unpalatable to your (liberal) belief. Be sure you can substantiate everythign with facts and a chain of reasoning. And when something is opinion or conjecture, be it political conjecture or scientific opinion (e.g. global warming, etc), save it for the Op-Ed page. To do anything less or anything more is a disservice to the republic, and is contributing to the breakdown we see in society. When the Blue State news organizationd wonder what is wrong with America, the second place they should go is to this article. The first place they should go is to a mirror. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2004-12-21 6:44:04 PM |
| #9 Money Quote: "The deterioration of the American media is dire loss for our country. When distinguished institutions like the New York Times can no longer differentiate between factual content and editorial opinion, but rather mix both freely on their front page, then who will hold anyone to a higher standard?" This is the greatest tragedy in the latter part of the 20th and early part of the 21st century. The loss of rational ability of the press, and the politicization of the press. Journalism has become advocacy not reporting. And that is the bigest threat to our democracy. Bigger than Al Quaeda, bigger than Socialism, bigger than Micahel Moore and his prpagandada presented as fact. A republican democracy requires an informed populace to make informed decisions and hold its representatives to matters of FACT. The failure of modern jopurnalism to present "Jus the Facts" as "Joe Friday" once said, is crippling to our democracy. The reason we have so many self deluded people in the Blue states is that they actually beleive the spin, half truths and opinion posted by the MSM as being the whole and actual truth. The problem for them is that reality, as it ever does, tends to be harsh with people who are not cognizant of it. THe Red states are hardly more well informed, but do take a distrustful view - pretty much as Missouris says, the Red States say "Show Me". The problem with this is that eventually a decision must be made and a helathy scepticism soon descends into cynicism which leads to apathy. The Press needs to be taken to task, first in theor organizations and second in the journalism schools. Gather the facts, report the facts. ALL of them. Cover the new, good and bad, and do not leave out stories because you disagree withthem or they are politically unpalatable to your (liberal) belief. Be sure you can substantiate everythign with facts and a chain of reasoning. And when something is opinion or conjecture, be it political conjecture or scientific opinion (e.g. global warming, etc), save it for the Op-Ed page. To do anything less or anything more is a disservice to the republic, and is contributing to the breakdown we see in society. When the Blue State news organizationd wonder what is wrong with America, the second place they should go is to this article. The first place they should go is to a mirror. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2004-12-21 6:44:04 PM |
| #8 Still, it sounds kinda cool. Too bad it's bullshit. No the equations account for the fact that the dilated time also includes the acceleraltion effects as they take place in the same time frame as the ship and passengers. but that did not prevent Sagan from spouting his quasi Marxist Bullshit about politics. When he stuck to the Astromonical stuff he could be quite good. But when he strayed he got out of his depth, rapidly IMO. Must of been his Brokklyn upbringing |
| Posted by: Cheaderhead 2004-12-21 9:35:16 PM |
| #7 Rest assured that if the anti-US International Lefts proclaimed that the sun was going nova, they'll launch a missle into the sun, ala STAR TREK:TNG movie, to make sure that it did so as not to proven wrong! |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2004-12-21 8:18:19 PM |
| #6 Sagan particularly was given to spewing BS. I particularly enjoyed his description of how relativity actually makes interstellar voyages faster (ship time). He correctly calculates the amount of time required based on constant 1 G acceleration (fixed time), and calculates the elapsed ship time based on that. Unfortunately, that overlooks the ship-time perspective of the acceleration, which reaches hundreds of G for even a short trip. Still, it sounds kinda cool. Too bad it's bullshit. |
| Posted by: Dishman 2004-12-21 7:51:05 PM |
| #5 "Once you abandon strict adherence to what science tells us"... you get an idiotic megalomaniac who writes bad books closely associated with popular conceptualization of "science," but quite divorced from any sort of scientific relevance. What's "scientific opinion?" Might as well call it "scientific faith." It's as closely connected to fact, anyway. |
| Posted by: Asedwich 2004-12-21 7:38:45 PM |
| #4 Money Quote: "The deterioration of the American media is dire loss for our country. When distinguished institutions like the New York Times can no longer differentiate between factual content and editorial opinion, but rather mix both freely on their front page, then who will hold anyone to a higher standard?" This is the greatest tragedy in the latter part of the 20th and early part of the 21st century. The loss of rational ability of the press, and the politicization of the press. Journalism has become advocacy not reporting. And that is the bigest threat to our democracy. Bigger than Al Quaeda, bigger than Socialism, bigger than Micahel Moore and his prpagandada presented as fact. A republican democracy requires an informed populace to make informed decisions and hold its representatives to matters of FACT. The failure of modern jopurnalism to present "Jus the Facts" as "Joe Friday" once said, is crippling to our democracy. The reason we have so many self deluded people in the Blue states is that they actually beleive the spin, half truths and opinion posted by the MSM as being the whole and actual truth. The problem for them is that reality, as it ever does, tends to be harsh with people who are not cognizant of it. THe Red states are hardly more well informed, but do take a distrustful view - pretty much as Missouris says, the Red States say "Show Me". The problem with this is that eventually a decision must be made and a helathy scepticism soon descends into cynicism which leads to apathy. The Press needs to be taken to task, first in theor organizations and second in the journalism schools. Gather the facts, report the facts. ALL of them. Cover the new, good and bad, and do not leave out stories because you disagree withthem or they are politically unpalatable to your (liberal) belief. Be sure you can substantiate everythign with facts and a chain of reasoning. And when something is opinion or conjecture, be it political conjecture or scientific opinion (e.g. global warming, etc), save it for the Op-Ed page. To do anything less or anything more is a disservice to the republic, and is contributing to the breakdown we see in society. When the Blue State news organizationd wonder what is wrong with America, the second place they should go is to this article. The first place they should go is to a mirror. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2004-12-21 6:44:04 PM |
| #3 Crichton has written about his experiences with spoonbending and auras, so it's good to see him get more Popperist in his old age. |
| Posted by: CTD 2004-12-21 5:45:01 PM |
| #2 Another opportunity for the blogosphere to expose and shoot down the MSM's memes and their shoddy promotion of same. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-12-21 2:35:11 PM |
| #1 A perfect storm: MSM stupidity and shamelessness meets junk science and political demagoguery. Oh and don't forget the upside for Hollywood. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-12-21 2:19:33 PM |