Now on ScienceBlogs: Casual Fridays: What makes a good writer, and what motivates them?
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. Mostly regarding climate change, though.
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.
"There is no need to sally forth, for it remains true that those things
which make us human are, curiously enough, always close at hand.
Resolve, then, that on this very ground, with small flags waving, and
tiny blasts of tinny trumpets, we have met the enemy, and not only may
he be ours, he may be us."
--Walt Kelly
April 30, 2009
Category: humor
This comment, posted to a Yahoo Finance forum by one dianasullivan1953 in response to a pointer to my recent post about the possible end of coal, was a great start to the day. I laughed for ages....
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 11:20 AM • 10 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: climate
Could this be a revolutionary change that spurs actual policy? One can only hope.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 7:33 AM • 11 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 29, 2009
Category: climate
As commercially viable CCS is at least 15 years away (and like fusion power, probably always will be), it looks like it might be time to start dumping stock in any utilities heavily invested in coal.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 12:03 PM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 27, 2009
Category: climate
"You tell me that carbon sequestration is the future, because we can't afford to live without coal. But then you tell me you haven't invested any money in carbon sequestration."
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 11:43 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 24, 2009
Category: technology
If only anything I wrote about climate change attracted as much attention.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 3:59 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: climate
A group of scientists working for industry summarizes the state of climate change science, emphasizing at every opportunity the uncertainty of the few conclusions that can be drawn and the inadequacy of the empirical and analytical tools available in 1995. Yawn.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 2:55 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 23, 2009
Category: climate
If greenhouse gas emissions aren't brought down soon, "forests will have difficulty adapting to climate change" and could be transformed from carbon sinks into sources.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 10:33 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 22, 2009
Category: climate
John Tierney could be right in a general way but tragically wrong on the specific.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 11:30 AM • 5 Comments • 1 TrackBacks
April 20, 2009
Category: climate
The latest report from the Pew Forum provides yet more evidence that the culture wars are more than an amusing abstraction for social scientists. Here's the question, asked of 1502 Americans: From what you've read and heard, is there solid...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 11:13 AM • 17 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 17, 2009
Category: Sci-culture
The more you Tweet, the less you think. The more Tweets you follow, the less you understand.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 2:44 PM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
PZ Myers 11.19.2009
James Hrynyshyn 11.20.2009
Tim Lambert 11.18.2009
PZ Myers 11.17.2009
Tim Lambert 11.12.2009
