Promoting Science and Critical Thinking
NASA maintains the GISS Surface Temperature Analysis (GISTEMP) data set, and so on a monthly basis there is an update. What exactly is GISTEMP? GISTEMP is an estimate of global surface temperature change. They collect raw data files from NOAA GHCN v3 (meteorological stations), ERSST v4 (ocean areas), and SCAR (Antarctic stations). This is all then combined. … Read more
Shakespeare in the Park is a long tradition in New York and so this year they put on a production of Julius Caesar. To connect with the audience they made it relevant by dressing up in modern clothes and having a Julius Caesar character that was rather familiar. Lois Beckett writing in the Guardian describes … Read more
Filter out the con men such as Jim Bakker and you are still left with the vast majority of weirdness. This is because the con men are leveraging the existence of such ideas, they are not the root cause. When faced with absurd religiously inspired claims, then there are two things that you can be … Read more
This week has seen some utterly bizarre behaviour by Scott Pruitt who was appointed by the Trump administration to run the EPA. While attending a meeting of the House Appropriations subcommittee that was reviewing the proposed 2018 budget for the EPA, he proceeded to stand up and defend the cuts that would in effect completely gut his … Read more
The Trump Administration’s principle weapon of choice for attacking climate science is not melodramatic announcements such as the one concerning US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, nor is it the appointment of individuals such as Scott Pruitt to lead the EPA, but instead is firmly rooted in federal finance. The proposed budget for 2018 will, … Read more
Megyn Kelly, in the role of an NBC anchor, has recorded an interview with Alex Jones. Where this attracts attention is that there has been a complete shitstorm even though it has not yet been broadcast. Both names are perhaps familiar. Megyn Kelly quit Fox News and joined NBC last January. Her latest thing is to … Read more