Archives for February, 2012
Has Global Warming Stopped?
Posted by Greg Laden on February 8, 2012 The following is a short version of the litany of global warming denialists’ current rhetoric: “Current pause in global warming” “lack of global warming for well over 10 years now.” “There is no credible (statistically significant) data that says global warming is occurring” “fifteen years of warming, then fifteen of cooling” “The last decades “rate…
Breatkthrough at Lake Vostok
Posted by Greg Laden on February 8, 2012 Rumors have been in the air for days, but we now think it confirmed that Russian Scientsts have penetrated the liquid part of Antarctica’s Lake Vostok. The lake has been frozen over for something like 20 million years. Certainly there was life in it at the time. Is any of it still there? Has something…
Cannon Fired in White House!
Posted by Greg Laden on February 8, 2012 Obama instantly reacts by hiring his new science advisor!
Melting Ice and Sea Level Rise
Posted by Greg Laden on February 8, 2012 If all the water currently trapped in all the glaciers across the entire world melted, the sea level would rise far more than most people imagine. Almost everyone living anywhere in the world at an elevation of below about 500 feet with a direct drainage to the sea would be directly affected; The sea level…
Global Warming Affects Albatross Ecology
Posted by Greg Laden on February 8, 2012 At the moment, the Wandering Albatross of the Southern Ocean is getting a free ride; Changes in wind patterns due to Global Warming seem to enhance the efficiency of foraging of this pelagic bird. However, as Global Warming continues, this rare case of a positive benefit of anthropocentric climate change will probably reverse. Climatic hormesis,…
Chemists Can Dance
Posted by Greg Laden on February 8, 2012 Actually, they can’t, but they’re having fun.
So What’s A Teacher to Do?
Posted by Greg Laden on February 8, 2012 There is a guest commentary by Genie Scott at Real Climate: Imagine you’re a middle-school science teacher, and you get to the section of the course where you’re to talk about climate change. You mention the “C” words, and two students walk out of the class. Or you mention global warming and a hand shoots…
Modern Neuroscience Verifies a Peircian Idea
Posted by Greg Laden on February 8, 2012 I know some of you are Piercians, and some of you are interested in Neuroscience. So, without comment I give you this abstract of a recent paper: Past experience provides a rich source of predictive information about the world that could be used to guide and optimize ongoing perception. However, the neural mechanisms that integrate…
Global Warming Causes European Freeze (Animation)
Posted by Greg Laden on February 8, 2012 I like the way the solar heat dives into the ocean at the last moment.
A Penny for your Thoughts (about Mars Exploration)
Posted by Greg Laden on February 7, 2012 This August, Mars Science Robot Curiosity will land on the surface of the Angry Red Planet equipped with a Penny to tell how big things are. The camera at the end of the robotic arm on NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity has its own calibration target, a smartphone-size plaque that looks like an eye chart supplemented…
Some interesting new Caldera Science
Posted by Greg Laden on February 7, 2012 Should we worry about calderas, like Santorini or the Yellowstone Caldera, blowing up with little warning? Sort of, in geological time that is. Turns out that the period of time between not much happening and the buildup of magma prior to a major eruption is startlingly short. Read More
myMac 01
Posted by Greg Laden on February 6, 2012 I am a Mac. Oh, wait, no, different commercial. Let me start again. I have a Mac. I call it myMac and I’ve only had it for a few hours. Those of you who know me know I could not possibly own a Mac, so you may assume I stole it or something. Fine, think…
We Need Sharon Sund in Minnesota’s Third District
Posted by Greg Laden on February 5, 2012 I support and endorse Sharon Sund for US Congress. Sharon will represent the Third District in Minnesota. For years, the Third District, in which I live, was represented by a moderate Republican, Jim Ramstad. Though I never voted for him, it was not all that annoying that he was in Congress because, as I say,…
Facts about the Super Bowl
Posted by Greg Laden on February 5, 2012 It is not a bowl, but rather, a football game. The 2010 Super Bowl would have been won by the Minnesota Vikings had the New Orleans Saints not cheated. It is not true that if your city is destroyed by an Act of God that you get to win the Super Bowl for that reason…
Telomeres and Longevity
Posted by Greg Laden on February 2, 2012 The first study that looks at telomere length in a large sample of animals from birth to death is out. Check it out.
Global Warming Battles On The Blogs
Posted by Greg Laden on February 2, 2012 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…
Ruh Roh. A crazy nutbag is saying scary things to me. Again.
Posted by Greg Laden on February 2, 2012 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…
What’s going on over at my other blogs?
Posted by Greg Laden on February 1, 2012 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…
Minnesotan Republicans Disrupt Attempts to Save Civilization From Itself
Posted by Greg Laden on February 1, 2012 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…
William M. Briggs has misunderstood a high-school level data graph
Posted by Greg Laden on February 1, 2012 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…
Science Online 2012 The Music Video
Posted by Greg Laden on February 1, 2012 A Carin Bodnar’s Crib.
, which is now available for the 
