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.
July 29, 2008
Category: climate
The man himself has been reduced to a footnote in the last advertisement from his new "we" campaign. The ad is scheduled to appear in the usual suspect media "to make sure Al Gore's clean electricity challenge stays on the...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 3:26 PM • 6 Comments •
Category: climate
Many of the editors I've had to deal with, including one just last week, aren't up to the task of handling a story that deals with climate science.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 9:29 AM • 2 Comments •
July 25, 2008
Category: climate
Jet flights near the equator do more damage than at high latitudes.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 3:36 PM • 3 Comments •
July 23, 2008
Category: climate
When the journals stop running papers that highlight ocean-atmosphere mysteries, then and only then will be time to start thinking about geo and marine engineering schemes.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 2:30 PM • 9 Comments •
July 22, 2008
Category: philosophy
Very few of those who aren't at least somewhat concerned about the consequences of business as usual on the climate front are climatologists.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 12:54 PM • 6 Comments •
July 19, 2008
Category: climate
Some people just jump to conclusions, I guess.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 3:30 PM • 17 Comments •
July 17, 2008
Category: climate
I don't have time today to comment on Al Gore's latest challenge to America — "to produce every kilowatt of electricity through wind, sun and other Earth-friendly energy sources within 10 years" — except to say that such a plan...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 12:33 PM • 0 Comments •
July 15, 2008
Category: climate
I wanted to like Sizzle. I really did. I like Randy Olson's contributions here on ScienceBlogs to Shifting Baselines. Randy is a former marine biologist and I have a degree in marine biology. He thinks the climate crisis is one...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 5:00 AM • 0 Comments •
July 11, 2008
Category: climate
While no one would argue that the fate of hundreds of millions of humans who live in low-lying coastal regions is not a good enough reason to put the brakes on global warming, I'd like to see more attention paid to what's happening beneath the ocean surface at its current level.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 9:32 AM • 4 Comments •
July 10, 2008
Category: climate
Not everyone here at ScienceBlogs is happy about a new project appearing here, under the auspices of SEED, and underwritten by none other than Shell. Yes, that's right, the big bad petro products transnational. "The Next Generation of Energy Ideas"...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 2:42 PM • 7 Comments •
Category: humor
It's time for the Union of Concerned Scientists' annual scientific integrity editorial cartoon contest. See the candidates and vote for your favorite here. My favorite:...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 1:41 PM • 1 Comments •
July 9, 2008
Category: climate
Installing solar water heaters in Hawai'i is picking the low-hanging fruit of climate change mitigation.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 3:04 PM • 12 Comments •
July 7, 2008
Category: climate
Some guy named Ken Sprague had a thousand pounds of British currency to throw around each year so he decided, for the second year in a row, to hold a competition for editorial cartoons dealing with "climate change and other...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 2:53 PM • 2 Comments •
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