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Re: [Phys-L] just for fun

This reply was predictable, and I fully expected it. Within the context of
expert opinion, both of these models are fully accepted, except by people
who have paradigms against them. I understand these scientific models as a
non-expert in climatology who also has looked at the evidence. The people
who do not understand and accept these models are usually even less
educated.

You Zaev pointed out to me that the winter extent of sea ice is greater in
Antarctica, and claimed this was evidence that Antarctica is not melting,
which is evidence against global warming. I looked it up and when I pointed
out that this is just a seasonal effect and that the mass of winter sea ice
is a small effect, and that NASA satellite measurements show that the mass
of ice is decreasing in Antarctica, you never acknowledged that I was
correct. I interpret your lack of response as indication of a negative
paradigm against the scientific model of global warming. I look things up
and try to use critical thinking. The winter sea ice is often used by
detractors, without looking up the evidence. It is a red herring.

If you have evidence that my acceptance of either evolution or the global
warming models is wrong, please present it and let it be critically analyzed
rather than engaging in personal attacks. Please present evidence for why
global warming is an incorrect model. Certainly all scientific models are
incomplete, so it is possible that this one has some bad flaws, but so far
the evidence has been strengthening in favor of it. There is also a
distinct possibility that the effects will be much more catastrophic than
the average predictions. There is also a possibility that the effect might
be milder, but we are playing Russian roulette with the climate. So
dismissing it as nonsense is not a wise course of action.

Again, please present scientific evidence and be prepared to debate the
topic using evidence.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX


It was a perfectly nice thread until John "Know-It-All"
Clement chose to climb on his beloved wooden pony yet again.

On 12/31/2013 9:05 AM, John Clement wrote:
In the US both evolution and global warming are fields where
politicians and religious leaders are not engaging in critical
thinking. (see the latest PEW survey) They are ignoring the
professionals in science and using common everyday thinking
which is often not critical.

The proximity of "evolution" and "global warming" that so
predictably and so uncritically roll off his tongue make me
(critically?) wonder what will happen if/when global warming
will be shown not to be man-caused, or even possibly
non-existent. Will John the-pony-rider start separating
evolution and global warming then, or will he stop believing
in evolution too? Critical minds want to know.

... Another example of not using
critical thinking is how many parents have declined to have their
children vaccinated, thereby exposing all of us to diseases which
should have zero incidence in the US. The falsified data
on vaccines
and autism was refuted, but these people do not bother to
look up good
sources of information and instead are relying on passed
around urban legends.


Falsified data on autism vaccination has, indeed, been
refuted. Many vaccinations are very safe and very effective.
Others are not so effective (flu?) even though relatively
safe, others not very safe even as they are effective
(smallpox
<http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/
ApprovedProducts/UCM142576.pdf>?),
and yet others may be neither very safe nor very effective
(HPV
<http://healthimpactnews.com/2013/fraud-exposed-in-cdcs-hpv-va
ccine-effectiveness-study/>?).
One might say that painting everyone who doesn't like to ride
along on wooden horses with the same brush doesn't
demonstrate critical thinking
<http://www.cdc.gov/Vaccines/vpd-vac/should-not-vacc.htm>.

Crack that whip, John!
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