Greg Laden's Blog

Telomeres and Longevity

Category:

The first study that looks at telomere length in a large sample of animals from birth to death is out. Check it out.

Posted by Greg Laden at 5:02 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Global Warming Battles On The Blogs

Category: Climate Change

Over the last few weeks, there has been quite a bit of discussion on the Blogosphere about certain global warming related issues. Denialists have come on strong with two major and widely disseminated distortions of scientific reports and consensus, and scientists and those interested in saving the Earth and who love puppies have countered with numerous well thought out and well done responses.

But it is hard to keep track of all this chatter. Pursuant to making that job easier, I've assembled a bunch of links that will help you track this discussion. There may be missing items, and if so, send me a link and I'll see if I can fit it in. I'm not likely to link to very many denailist posts (against blog policy) but I'll consider such items. Just don't hold your breath (though doing so would reduce your carbon footprint for a moment or two).

In order to keep things simple, I've listed the links in order with just the title of the blog post and a very brief pull-out, usually just the first paragraph.

Read on »

Posted by Greg Laden at 12:44 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Ruh Roh. A crazy nutbag is saying scary things to me. Again.

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Climate change denialism has it's Dave Mabus, and his name is Markus Fitzhenry. I just got this note slipped under my eDoor.

You made a big mistake, lying about me.

MEMBERS

There is enlightenment coming, it will be a cleansing wind throughout academia. This is just the tip of an iceberg, that is going to sink, the titanic of AGW, and all those on board. They are of the dark ages.
Ask David Evans, see his expose at Jo Nova science blog (au). Go to Tallbloke (uk). Go to Judith Curry (com).
The greatest fear I have is polluted minds around me. What have we become, men, who give their minds to others for safekeeping. We should pity ourselves, as well as them.
My countrymen are in danger, we have never had such wide divides between us, it is threatening division and insurrection. It must stop. We are close to solving the mystery of climate, we have most of the pieces now, and great minds will complete the puzzle soon. The Greens are deluded, we will prove it.
I am but a troubador, with a spatha of iron will. By His grace.
Yours sincerely,
Markus Fitzhenry

Then following that there's a bunch, like thousands of words, of "bla bla bla" including this little gem:

Read on »

Posted by Greg Laden at 9:41 AM • 10 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

What's going on over at my other blogs?

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There's some stuff I don't want you to miss.

Related to the Komen Maneno:

• Stop Giving Money to Susah G. Komen for the Cure, and tell everyone else you know to do the same.
• We Stand with Planned Parenthood
• Poor Women Have Breasts Too, You Know!

Another fight about gun control:

• Seven Year Old Jaymee Stewart Has Died...

Political Update:

• Florida Primary Results: A Pattern Emerges

I'm guest blogging at Scientific American:

• How Animals Prepare for an Alien Invasion
• What Robot Fish Can Tell Us About Parallel Evolution
• Boa Constrictors Get a Feel for Their Prey

Posted by Greg Laden at 10:19 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Minnesotan Republicans Disrupt Attempts to Save Civilization From Itself

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State Legislator Ellen Anderson is an energy expert, who authored seven energy related bills one of which became a national model, all of which were signed into law by a Republican Governor. She was recently appointed by Governor Dayton to the Public Utilities Commission. Republicans, however, organized a vote against the apointment because her views on energy are too radical.

What are her radical views? Well, she she thinks coal is dirty, for one thing. She'd like to see more conservation and use of solar and wind. That sort of thing.

Here's the story on our local news station.

Who owns the Republican Party? Who do you think ....

Posted by Greg Laden at 5:20 PM • 11 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

William M. Briggs has misunderstood a high-school level data graph

Category: Climate Change • Global Warming

And I suspect he's done so willingly. Well, you know what they say about statistics and liars.

Here's the story. The Wall Street Journal and the Daily Mail independently published highly misleading and blatantly idiotic pieces on climate change. We've covered this extensively already over the last few days. Phil Plait, of the Bad Astronomy Blog on Discovermagazine.com, was one of numerous scientists to respond to those flaming examples of horrific bottom feeding journalism with the post "While temperatures rise, denialists reach lower." In that post, he presented a still-image from a moving GIF that has been going around, originally from Skeptical Science. I've used the GIF myself just recently, but I'll re-post it here for your convenience:

Read on »

Posted by Greg Laden at 1:11 PM • 37 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Science Online 2012 The Music Video

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A Carin Bodnar's Crib.

Posted by Greg Laden at 11:22 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

The Full Monti ...

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... can be found HERE.

What I'm talking about is the complete series of stories told at The Monti at ScienceOnline 2012. (I mentioned them here.)

You will laugh, you will cry, you will go "WTF?"

Posted by Greg Laden at 11:51 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Actual Scientists Respond to Fake Scientists at Wall Street Journal

Category: Global Warming

It starts like this:

Do you consult your dentist about your heart condition? In science, as in any area, reputations are based on knowledge and expertise in a field and on published, peer-reviewed work. If you need surgery, you want a highly experienced expert in the field who has done a large number of the proposed operations.

You published "No Need to Panic About Global Warming" (op-ed, Jan. 27) on climate change by the climate-science equivalent of dentists practicing cardiology...

... and gets even better. Go read it!

Posted by Greg Laden at 10:52 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks