climate science
stoat | December 23, 2014 I've been reading History of programming languages---II which is a book of a 1993 conference. There's lots of interesting stuff, if you like that kind of thing, but I'm particularly struck by the section on Ada. There's fun like the distinction between general-purpose and "embedded" computing, which is always somewhat hard to define:
In the early seventies these were generally called "weapons system computers." A short time later they were called "embedded systems," to convey the message that they also included functions such as control, communications, and intelligence as part of an overall…
stoat | December 22, 2014 Every now and again its nice to be reminded that the Dork Side really are a bunch of swivel-eyed loons. So I'm thankful, so to speak, to Eli (and, now I look, Sou) for pointing me at Settled science? The IPCC’s premature consensus is demonstrated by the Orbiting Carbon Observatory. I didn't bother read the rest, because that they're nutters is all you need to know, the exact fuckwittery is only of interest to scholars of denial. Thrust, ah ha, king of the Impossible, and so on, in the unlikely even that anyone cares.
As to the headline: I thought I'd leave out the question mark just to wind…
stoat | December 16, 2014 Following up on my brilliantly prescient Foundation and Empire from April, the current economic situation in Russia is worth commenting on. The Russian rouble [is] in free-fall despite [a] shock 17% rate rise says Auntie (and she really does, doesn't she, which is silly: rates rose to 17%, not by 17%), and Timmy has some notes about 17% interest rates.
(Its not quite the right cartoon, obviously, but it does show the fundamental silliness of Putin well.)
The acute problems with the Rouble stem from the oil price fall, of course, and not Western sanctions (The Graun thinks otherwise, but I…
stoat | December 13, 2014 Some in the US have now admitted that others in the US tortured some other people: see for example [[Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture]]. But on the whole, the people in charge at the time aren't admitting it, and the CIA can't even bring itself to use the T-word. Bystander pointed me at this old post containing wise words from George Orwell about corruption of language, and the following from [[A Man for All Seasons]]:
Roper: So now you'd give the Devil benefit of law!
More1: Yes. What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?
Roper: I'd cut…
stoat | December 6, 2014 One disadvantage of working for my current employers is that pretty well everything I do is technically commercially sekrit, no matter how dull it might be. But this little fragment isn't, and its fun. Perhaps it would make a good interview question.
What does the following C fragment compile into...
{
extern bool other_thing(void);
int a;
if (other_thing())
a = 1;
report_thing(a);
}
...when compiled with gcc, version 4.2, for C89, and certain optimisations that I won't go into? Specifically, what value does "report_thing" get…
stoat | November 30, 2014 There's a thread on twitter, started by "@JacquelynGill" noting "The Day After Tomorrow", "@ClimateOfGavin" replying that "it was that movie and lame sci community response that prompted me to start blogging", and continuing "Spring 2004 was pre-RC, Scienceblogs, etc. Deltoid was around, Stoat, @mtobis + other sci.env ppl too. But very few."
Gosh, those were the days. More than ten years ago. What can I remember?
[Update (I'll put it here so you see it, maybe): David Appell remembers. Which reminds me of a story: somewhen we were all (on sci.env?) speculating about such-and-such a thing: had…
stoat | November 28, 2014 So there I was happily making cow pies in a muddy field when some Arthur King comes along and I'm reminded once again of the violence inherent in the system.
[Update: and part 2, 2015/02.]
Which I think is about how seriously you should take Watt's attempt to Godwin himself with the assistance of Ball. VVatts has a go, though. I'm with Sou re Betts etc.
Meanwhile, Bob Tisdale is a sock. He does assert directly its his real name; but I don't trust him1.
The cartoon - with its implications of false balance - isn't really appropriate; but I liked it anyway.
1 - I still don't trust him, but his…
stoat | November 24, 2014Someone pointed me at Renewable energy 'simply WON'T WORK': Top Google engineers in El Rego, which is Lewis "you know you can't trust me" Page's take on What It Would Really Take to Reverse Climate Change by Ross Koningstein & David Fork. Who they? Dunno, but you can read what they say about themselves: Ross Koningstein and David Fork.
Before I begin, a question: "why now"? The Rego article is clearly in response to the spectrum.ieee article, which is about "RE<C", which died in 2011. Poking around I come to google.com/green/energy/investments/ which makes it pretty clear that google…
stoat | November 17, 2014 Mostly misc. I start with this erg screenshot, which I hasten to add is not mine, though that will be obvious to the cognoscenti immeadiately, or indeed to anyone who has sweated out 2k and got not even close to 6:06.8 - I can't even quite manage 7:10 for 2k, let alone for three times as long. This one is by Eric Murray, and not only should you be admiring the raw score, you should also admire the amazing consistency.
Following the aquatic theme is Bantam IV by some narrow-boating friends.
Special late bonus item: Curbside, by Rich Puchalsky.
This page is intentionally left blank - a…
stoat | November 12, 2014 Time for some politics - it always provides cheap hits. I'll start with this cartoon, which I found on facebook, promoted by various of the Good. But, its rubbish; its Wrong Thinking. Its a response to the US mid-term elections - or at least, I think that's why its being reposted - and the message seems to be... well, actually, its hard for me to parse it. It seems to be a response from the Left / Democrat side of things, effectively whinging about the (marginally greater numbers of) voters who opted for what they regard as the Dark Side, who they apparently believe as asking for dirty air…
stoat | November 11, 2014Next: September 8th: Sulzenau to Dresdener.
From the Wilder Pfaff and Zuckerhutl I went back to the Nurnberger, had a look at the (Aperer) Feuerstein and then went to the Sulzenau for a rest day. That concluded my first week.
Miriam (who has suddenly appeared in this tale, but I won't mention her much) and I were off to the Dresdener in the afternoon, so I had all morning to do something interesting, which thing was to experiment with the Lubeckerweg up the Wilder Freiger. "But!" (You'll complain) "You've already climbed the WF". Well yes I have. But a mountain is a big place. I've descended…
stoat | November 10, 2014 For some time I've been concious of how lucky I am to live in Cambridge with its wealth of cultural opportunities, and dissatisfied with my own poor response: so often, its easier to follow routine. So last saturday, in the market square, amongst the poster for "Spem in Alium" and others I found this. And thought: I happen to be free on Monday. So along I went. Its one of a series, BTW, should you happen to be in Cambridge on the second Monday of the month.
I know I've read some of Mike Hulme's stuff before, and not really liked it, but couldn't remember exactly what. So that didn't much…
stoat | November 7, 2014 Between Migdol and the Sea is the book, by Carl Drews, of the paper Dynamics of Wind Setdown at Suez and the Eastern Nile Delta, by Carl Drews and Weiqing Han. Just so you don't get confused, its subtitled "Crossing the Red Sea with Faith and Science". Those with long memories will recall the Great Fuss and Part II four years ago when the paper was first published. Since I was nice then, Carl asked if I'd like a copy of the book, and I said yes.
[Update: the original comments to PZ's posts were lost; now they are found, and part 2. Re-reading the comments at P, I'm again struck by the…
stoat | November 4, 2014There's a philosophical debate to be had over the meaning of the word scientist, or even the origins of the term, and indeed "what is science?". But that swiftly becomes tedious, so instead take the Viz test: Do your bitches turn tricks on the street or do they smoke cigarettes chained up in laboratory?
stoat | November 3, 2014People often say that GW is slow and hard to see. One place you can see it is in the mountains. I don't have many pix that show it well, but here's one pair. We're looking at the Sulzenauferner. The first is from 2014, and is taken from the path up to the Beiljoch (which said col is visible in the lower pair of pix) between the Sulzenauhutte and the Dresdener. The Zuckerhutl is straight on, buried in cloud, how unusual.
And here's the same thing back in 2001, though taken from a slightly different and higher viewpoint, somewhere around the Trogler. The triangular buttress almost dead center…
stoat | October 31, 2014It looks like Tol has joined the <cough> illustrious <cough> ranks of those who publish their review comments:
the commentary could be made substantially more balanced and contemplative – for example, as proof of “truth” the author cites himself and a series of mostly social media sources, with little reference to the academic literature and with little evidence of neutrality in his selection of “evidence”. There is a more unfortunate and confrontational aspect to the tone of this submission when the author makes his final unsubstantiated reflections... [not] original, nor to be…
stoat | October 28, 2014 Says the FT (Oct 27, 2014 : The Bank of England has written to insurance companies to assess the risk climate change poses to their solvency and earnings. FT environment correspondent Pilita Clark and City editor Jonathan Guthrie discuss the move and regulators’ concern about global warming). Alas its a video, but worth listening to. Apparently there's a letter from the BoE to various insurance companies, but its moderately stealthed - not on the BoE website says the video, and my attempts to search for it.
Summary: they've written to 30 insurers, asking them how prepared they are for…
stoat | October 21, 2014Its at The Conversation and a retweet near you, no doubt. By Lawrence Torcello, who - doubtless to my loss rather than his discredit - I've never heard of, and Michael E Mann, who needs no introduction. LT is a philosopher, and I guess that's the peg to hang this one off, since we start with stuff like:
It is possible, then, that we’ll benefit in the long run from having to deal with human-caused global warming, by being forced to mature politically and ethically.
This sounds to me like the rather familiar idea: we'll use GW as leverage to get the other things we want: a more sustainable…
stoat | October 17, 2014Yay, more fallout. Need I say more? Oh go on then:
This is a complete fabrication.... I dispute the description “abuse”, and suggest “use” as replacement... Prof Wadhams is apparently not content with people commenting on, or indeed even reporting, his work... This is ridiculous... This is an attempt to spuriously link the complaint to the Royal Society... If anything, my action demonstrates that bullying behaviour by senior academics can at some level be successful...
That last one, correctly, says that this isn't just a matter of fun for the peanut gallery; its more serious than that. Note…
stoat | October 7, 2014 Ah, there's nothing like pouring oil on troubled waters with a carefully chosen post title, or defusing a potentially unpleasant confrontation with a cheery image.
The backstory: for quite some time now people have been making implausible predictions about the Killer Arctic Death Spiral of Death. This became prominent after 2007, which was the first notably low year, and lead to my first sea ice bet. The next few years weren't very exciting and the frenzy died down a bit, but 2012 (which, of course, I lost) re-ignited the feeding frenzy. There's still $10k on offer if you're a death-…