October 29, 2015
The big loser in this debate was CNBC. The network chose to not let anyone who was not a subscriber see the debate live. Then, apparently, the moderators trivialized the debate and annoyed the debaters, who then attacked CNBC and the press in general. Then, today, when we look at the news stories…
October 29, 2015
A week or so ago, I got a couple of emails and tweets about a blog post on Medium.com, an internet thing of which I had never heard. Apparently Medium.com is a big giant blog that anybody can go and blog their big giant thoughts on: like tumblr, but more bloggy.
Anyway, some dude by the name of…
October 28, 2015
Those zany researchers at MIT are up to their usual shenanigans. They have come up with a device, which they call "our device," that sees through walls. Here is a video of how it works, complete with background music to make you feel perfectly comfortable with it:
Here's their web site. Here is…
October 27, 2015
There will be a third GOP debate on Wednesday night. If you don't have the right cable or satellite subscription, apparently, you are not welcome to attend. (Correct me if I'm wrong, in the comments section below.)
But who cares, really? It will be a low information event.
The debate will be…
October 27, 2015
See what I did there?
As you know, the UN WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer has listed Red Meat as Group 2A (probably carcinogenic to humans) and processed meat at Group 1 (causes cancer).
And everyone is upset. The most common reaction to these listings is to criticize WHO. The…
October 26, 2015
Here's a question for you: Historical records show that another pandemic will occur, but no one knows when. How do we create a mind shift among world leaders and people in general to start planning for the next one now?
This question is being posed in connection with the series premiere of…
October 24, 2015
Samsung Galaxy S4
Looking at just the specs, the Samsung Galaxy S4 looks like a good phone. That's why we got one!
But there are a few things you need to know that may impact your decision. These problems lead me to not recommend this phone.
First, the Android Lollipop version that Samsung produces…
October 23, 2015
CNN is calling Hurricane Patricia "The Most Dangerous Hurricane in History." Another news outlet showed a picture of the hurricane and pointed out "The Enormous Size of Hurricane Patricia."
Both of these are wrong. Size matters with hurricanes. A category 5 hurricane that is twice as large as…
October 23, 2015
Update, Saturday AM:
On Twitter, people are shocked and amazed that Hurricane Patricia turned into a tropical storm. Some had prayed to god and now claim those prayers were answered. There is at least one claim of a death on Twitter, but The Twitter Lies, and this is probably someone's sick idea…
October 22, 2015
We're gonna need a bigger boat. Well, actually we're gonna need a bigger y-Axis. This has been happening for a while.
NOAA has just published September's global surface temperature, which turns out to be 0.90C above their baseline (20th century average). According to NOAA, this is the highest…
October 21, 2015
The University of Texas Energy Poll tracks Americans' opinions on energy and climate change related issues. You can see the results of the latest iteration of the poll here.
Opinions are changing.
Respondents are stressing less about energy prices and instead are worried more about environmental…
October 19, 2015
A few days ago, NASA released it's GISS TEMP global surface temperature data showing that in that data set September was warm, with the same value as August (which was also warm). At least one science denier has told me that the fact that August and September were the same means that global warming…
October 15, 2015
Top candidates only, non-partisan polls only, likely voters only, graphic updated October 15th, most recent polls October 12.
October 15, 2015
Clinton vs. Sanders, Likely Voters, Non-Partisan Polls only. Graphic last updated October 15th, shows polls through October 12th only.
October 14, 2015
Lincoln Chafee, Hillary Clinton, Martin O'Malley, Bernie Sanders, and Jim Webb faced off in the Facebook-CNN sponsored debate. Who won?
The individual who "won" is the individual whose poll numbers went up the most, and we don't know that yet. But there are other ways to win, and other ways to…
October 14, 2015
Here, without comment, is a handful of screen grabs showing the results (at the time I grabbed them, Wed AM) of several on line polls asking who won last night's Democratic Party presidential debate in Las Vegas.
Note: For most polls, I needed to vote first to see the results. I voted…
October 13, 2015
It is debate season for the US presidential race. As usual, science is being viewed as a debating point very differently by the two parties, at least so far. The Democratic candidates, yet to actually debate, are currently engaged in dealing policy statements about important scientific issues such…
October 12, 2015
The NASA GISS global surface measurement for September is out. I don't know off hand if there are corrections for earlier months. The data for September show the month as the same as the earlier month, 0.81 degrees C anomaly.
The current best estimate of the warming of the Earth's surface from…
October 9, 2015
South Carolina Floods
I haven't said much about this partly because there is so much good coverage, but South Carolina's floods, still ongoing, are going to get on the list of worst weather events of 2015. Since these floods are amounting to a one in 1,000 year event, they are actually on the list…
October 8, 2015
This just out from NOAA:
As record ocean temperatures cause widespread coral bleaching across Hawaii, NOAA scientists confirm the same stressful conditions are expanding to the Caribbean and may last into the new year, prompting the declaration of the third global coral bleaching event ever on…
October 7, 2015
A recent study (from earlier this summer) that I only just came across shows that the US Republican Party is the only conservative party among many studies that actively and pretty much completely denies the science of climate change. This is not very surprising since the GOP denies science in…
October 5, 2015
Every year the sea ice that covers the northern part of the Earth expands and contracts though the winter and the summer. The minimum extent of the sea ice is usually reached some time in September, after which it starts to reform.
Human caused greenhouse gas pollution has increased the surface…
October 4, 2015
This is from this morning National Weather Service:
MESOSCALE PRECIPITATION DISCUSSION 0550
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD
413 AM EDT SUN OCT 04 2015
AREAS AFFECTED...NORTHEAST GA...SC...SOUTHEAST NC
CONCERNING...HEAVY RAINFALL...FLASH FLOODING LIKELY
VALID 040813Z - 041413Z…
October 2, 2015
Why you have to do something about guns
This message is primarily for those living in the United States. In the US, we have an outdated Constitutional amendment that has been interpreted by many, including the courts, in a way that hampers effective legislation to address what is clearly a major…
October 2, 2015
"We are the only advanced country in the world that sees these shootings every few months."
October 1, 2015
______________________
UPDATE: BLM and the St Paul authorities have come to a compromise.
... the Mayor announced that Turner and the St. Paul Black Lives Matter chapter have agreed to refrain from interfering with runners trying to complete the course, as had previously been threatened. Instead…
September 28, 2015
SEE ONGOING UPDATES BELOW FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION
Tropical Depression Eleven is currently located way east of Florida, and is predicted to become a tropical storm by Tuesday night some time. It would be nameD Joaquin. Some time Wednesday night, the storm is predicted to turn north and head…
September 26, 2015
There is no doubt that Associated Press’s Seth Borenstein is a top notch science reporter. However, he is a professional journalist, and for this reason I expect him to be part of, and to be guided by, the culture of journalism. The culture of journalism involves a critical feature that makes…
September 24, 2015
Scientists in all disciplines agree with climate scientists that global warming is real and caused by humans.
The vast majority of climate scientists, very close to 100%, understand that the phenomenon known as “global warming” (warming of the upper 2,000 meters of the ocean, the sea surface, and…
September 23, 2015
The Associated Press has changed the AP Stylebook, tossing out a commonly used set of terms in favor of an entirely inappropriate word, for describing those who incorrectly and without foundation claim that climate change science is a hoax, or wrong, or misguided, or otherwise bogus.
The term "…
