An irregular exploration of the struggle between the power of rational discourse and the scientific method on one hand, and the forces of superstition and dogma on the other.
James Hrynyshyn is a freelance science journalist based in western North Carolina, where he tries to put degrees in marine biology and journalism to good use.
The Demon-Haunted World:
Science as a Candle
in the Dark,
by Carl Sagan
(A
review)
The Doubter's Companion:
by John Ralston Saul (Excerpts)
Skeptic Magazine: www.skeptic.com
Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal: www.csicop.org
A poem by Yehuda Amichai:
The
Place
Where We Are Right
The Meaning of the
Island of Doubt
By doubting we come to inquiry; and through inquiry we perceive truth.
--- Peter Abelard
Undisguised clarity is easily mistaken for arrogance.
-- Richard Dawkins
As for evolution, it happened. Deal with it.
-- Michael Shermer.
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Posted on: January 24, 2007 7:05 AM, by James Hrynyshyn
Here's what George W. Bush had to say about climate change in his penultimate state of the union address: "...and they will help us to confront the serious challenge of global climate change." That's it. A parathetical afterthought for the most pressing issue of modern times. I suppose we should be happy that even that much made it through the editing process. Oh well.
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Comments
Hey,
At least he finally mentioned it, for the first time. Imagine if he had to deal with a Democratic majority throughout his entire Presidency?
There are stories that after his election, he was really planning on being a "uniter" until Rove looked at the polls and realized there was no political upside to it.
Maybe he is reverting. Too little, too late.
Posted by: Robert P. | January 24, 2007 11:07 AM
Wondering how Bush can get away with continuing to side-step and downplay the climate issue? It's because his base among *college-educated* Republicans continues to refute the science and urgency of global warming. See this post on the details and why college-educated Republicans remain more skeptical than their high-school counterparts.
http://scienceblogs.com/framing-science/2007/01/in_latest_survey_only_23_of_co.php
Posted by: Matthew C. Nisbet | January 24, 2007 7:10 PM
Well he may have mentioned it, but his plans take as much as give. A big chunck of the proposed alternative fuels is coal to diesel. That would add about as much CO2, as the quite modest bump in CAFE saves. The rest is same-old same-old, talk of technology doing the job, but no substantial funding -or economic incentives for research/deployment. Looks just like Iraq, kick the can down the road for another two years.
I was surpised (dismayed) to hear foreign reaction -they seemed to think his position had actually changed.
Posted by: big | January 24, 2007 11:09 PM
"Republicans continues to refute"
Actually, they _dis_pute. It is not possible to refute either the science or the urgency.
Posted by: Greg | January 25, 2007 11:12 PM