This post originated from an RSS feed registered with Python Buzz by Titus Brown. Original Post: 13 Dec 2004 Feed Title: Advogato diary for titus Feed URL: http://advogato.org/person/titus/rss.xml Feed Description: Advogato diary for titus Latest Python Buzz Posts Latest Python Buzz Posts by Titus Brown Latest Posts From Advogato diary for titus

I hadn't seen Crichton's latest before today, but the Caltech talk I mentioned in my own little screed is available online.

Honestly, I'm not sure what to make of it all. I stand by what I said before: science -- not religion, nor "public policy debates", nor extreme left-wing environmentalism -- is going to give us facts. Crichton's attitude is that scientists are polarized towards the left and biasing their results & discussion in that direction, and this needs to be corrected. Unfortunately he fails to note that, historically, only scientists actually correct science; it may take a while, but the truth will out. This omission, combined with the prevailing political climate in our federal gov't, means that he is simply playing into the hands of people that are at least as illogical as (and much less interested in objective truth than) any scientist.

There's an interesting article in Science Magazine (the top journal in scientific research) that might be useful reading. E-mail me if you can't get access.

I have to agree with tk that the Greenpeace style of environmentalists are somewhat idiotic. There's a reason why China may establish the first really large-scale use of nuclear reactors -- which is probably the only medium-term hope for decreasing fossil-fuel use. It's sad that we have to choose between right-wing nutsos and left-wing nutsos on issues like this. (Side anecdote: a few years back, my advisor was in Germany. He saw a a political protest against GM foods where the German Green Party was chanting "Food without genes!". Hmmm...)

You guys should both read Neal Stephenson's Zodiac. Fantastic book that spares no one -- and a crackin' good read, much like Snow Crash but without the long-winded ending ;).

Peace out,

--titus

Hey, berend, your "Mars global warming" reference was pulled by the paper that published it -- and o look, it's not been published anywhere else! Looks like the Denver Post got taken... but that's besides the point: it's not exactly hard to measure the Sun's energy output, and I'm pretty sure we'd have noticed if it was going up substantially. It <ahem> hasn't.