It's the end of the world as we know it
Category: climate
By 2008 what we were uncertain about wasn't whether the climate was changing for the worse, but just how bad things were.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 9:35 AM • 11 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The Island of Doubt
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.
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Profile
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.
Recent Posts
- Gambling on the climate
- Why should we care about the polar bear?
- Polar bears to be listed
- Who are these "neural buddhists" of which you speak?
- McCain's McClimate plan
- Yet more Republicans in denial
- A little game for Monday morning
- Carnival of the Blue 12
- Clinton and the politics of fear
- Why climate change is so tricky to cover
Recent Comments
- dave X on Gambling on the climate
- Hank Roberts on Gambling on the climate
- blugger on Why should we care about the polar bear?
- James Hrynyshyn on Why should we care about the polar bear?
- pough on Why should we care about the polar bear?
- Ian on McCain's McClimate plan
- DaPrez on Polar bears to be listed
- khefera on Polar bears to be listed
- DaPrez on A little game for Monday morning
- scicurious on Who are these "neural buddhists" of which you speak?
for 9 July 2007
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Other Doubtful Blogs
- Panda's Thumb
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- Jennifer Oullette
Inspiration
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
Author's site: cyamid.net
--- H. L. Mencken
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.
April 30, 2008
April 26, 2008
Best Expelled review yet
Category: evolution
"A no more shameless, stupid and loathsome piece of propaganda has ever skulked its way into the theater."
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 12:38 PM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 24, 2008
Do genes explain Republican extreme negative campaign tactics?
Category: humor
Star Trek's Data would call such behavior a product of a malfunctioning ethical subroutine.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 8:28 AM • 10 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 23, 2008
Is there really 200 years worth of coal left?
Category: climate
Just how much of the stuff is left may be irrelevant.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 11:31 AM • 22 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Et tu, Barack?
Category: medicine
For presidential contenders to even hint that there might be cause for not vaccinating is irresponsible in the extreme.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 9:25 AM • 11 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 22, 2008
Women dying sooner
Category: medicine
Just in case you needed a reminder of what's wrong with America:...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 9:06 AM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 20, 2008
Read this now
Category: science culture
This three-part series on radical skepticism and the rise of conspiratorial thinking about science, by Daniel Engber, in Slate, is required reading for anyone interested in the role of skepticism in science and society. It's called "The Paranoid Style in...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 2:57 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 19, 2008
The wisdom of our elders
Category: Sci-culture
Much has been written, here and elsewhere in the blogosphere, about the media's willingness to give a couple of kids their 15 minutes for challenging scientific orthodoxy, despite the fact that in both cases, the young Galileo-wannabe figures were dead...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 7:38 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 18, 2008
It's 1984 at the Wall Street Journal
Category: climate
It is hard to think of a better example of doublespeak. Yesterday's Wall Street Journal editorial on George W's climate change speech and came to the exact opposite conclusion of what really happened. I know the WSJ editorial page has...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 11:19 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 17, 2008
Enough already! You're both right!
Category: climate
I don't see as how anyone can rationally argue against a plan that calls for both immediate implementation of existing technology and radically increased spending on research and development of new technology.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 10:19 AM • 18 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 16, 2008
Time to take out the trash
Category: technology
The European Space Agency devoted some computer time to this representation of all the space junk orbiting the earth....
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 9:23 AM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 15, 2008
16-year-old libels James Hansen
Category: climate
I'm sure James Hansen has better things to do with his NASA paycheck than hire a lawyer to sue a 16-year-old over a libelous statement on her website. Give the amount of time he's spent crafting public letters to governors,...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 11:59 AM • 66 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 14, 2008
Now this is interesting...
Category: climate
"It is hoped that the debate is over."
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 1:19 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 13, 2008
The story of the Hurricane: Rethinking the climate change connection
Category: climate
Once Kerry Emmanuel was the go-to guy for the notion that global warming is making hurricanes worse. Three years later, he's the one warning that may not be true.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 9:22 AM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 9, 2008
At last: Al Gore gets it
Category: climate
"It's important to change the light bulbs, but we also have to change the laws."
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 10:23 AM • 14 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 8, 2008
Faith trumps science. Again
Category: religiosity
Clinton and Obama have agreed to talk about "how faith, scripture and public policy all come together."
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 11:48 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
New York City blows it big time
Category: climate
Sooner or later, every major city will have downtown traffic toll. We all know that.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 9:44 AM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Is this the right room for an argument? Genetics and framing
Category: science culture
Could it be that all this talk about how best to frame argument is pointless? It would if our capacity to change our minds in the face of new information was genetically determined....
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 7:51 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 2, 2008
The REAL problem with framing science
Category: Sci-culture
It's either a trivial concept to which an entire academic career should not be devoted, or it's a corrupting influence that threatens everything for which science should stand.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 8:15 AM • 57 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 1, 2008
Essential reading on carbon emissions targets
Category: climate
The fundamental question facing climate crisis activists is how to go about convincing the world to change its energy production and consumption habits. I still haven't found good answer to that. But Joe Romm has produced a magnificent primer on...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 12:27 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
