[ RadSafe ] Keeping an open mind Are we keeping an open mind?

Tue Oct 19 17:12:46 CDT 2010

Jeff wrote

"Bad science is like pornography, I know it when I see it."  Very well
put.  Annual revenue of the industry is $57.0 billion (with a B)
world-wide and $12.0 billion US.  There is big $$$ in both... with
little (or no) societal benefits.

Jeffrey R. Johanning
Health Physicist V/RSO
SAIC
858-826-9725

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Jeff Terry
Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 10:44 AM
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Keeping an open mind Are we keeping an open
mind?

Hi All, 

I think that everyone can accept that the climate changes. I am
composing this message from a spot that was at one time under
approximately 1 km of ice. I live in spot that was underwater. Climate
changes, topography changes, etc., for most of the lifetime of the earth
these changes were clearly not driven by anthropogenic sources. 

That does not mean that future changes cannot be driven by anthropogenic
sources. There are plenty of examples of human caused environmental
destruction, for example, see deforestation due to acid rain. 

However, the current global warming controversy is highly politicized.
Science is never settled. Newtonian Mechanics ruled for 200 years before
it was shown to be incomplete. Relativity is constantly being tested by
science as is the theory of Quantum Mechanics. IMO, if someone makes
statements of the fact that the science is settled, it smacks of bad
science. 

Grandiose claims require overwhelming evidence. It the Global
Warming/Climate Change people would like me to take them serious, they
could start by:

1.) Release the code for their computer models - all the computer code
that I use is either freely available or is available for purchase. That
allows me to search for flaws and more importantly to test for flaws. It
is never good to wait or Russian hackers to release your code with
comments paraphrased as I have no idea what this line does but if we
take it out the temperature doesn't increase. 
That said I use this code as an example in my computational physics
course as an example of bad programming.
2.) Stop practicing Hollywood science - we all have egos and I suppose
we all like to see ourselves on television but there is a reason that
the shortest scientific presentations are 10 minutes long. It is really
difficult to discuss science in sound bites. This type of science
dilutes the brand name.
3.) Leave the politics to the politicians - describe the science and let
the judgments be made.  Leave that posturing to the politicians. Just
because you have the background to study the climate does not make you
an expert on the social science of effects. Don't make pronouncements to
these effects, this goes beyond the Global Warming crowd. Grandiose
posturing that you know best is rarely effective to the public. 

Bad science is like pornography, I know it when I see it. 

One does not necessarily need to be a climate change expert to see
some/many of the flaws in the work. 

Of course, having flaws in the methodology and large egos amongst the
players, does not mean that ultimately their projections are incorrect.
Anthropogenic climate change may very well be an important effect in the
future or even in the present, but the evidence for ACC/AGW is not
currently overwhelming and is a very rich area for study. 

Jeff

Jeff Terry
Asst. Professor of Physics
Life Science Bldg Rm 166
Illinois Institute of Technology
3101 S. Dearborn St. 
Chicago IL 60616
630-252-9708
terryj at iit.edu

On Oct 19, 2010, at 12:43 PM, Bernard L. Cohen wrote:

> There have been periods in the Earth's early history where global
warming by CO2 is universally (or at least widely) accepted by
geologists as an important cause of elevated temperatures.
> 
> On 10/19/2010 10:41 AM, Brent Rogers wrote:
>> I lack the competence to debate climate science (other than to note
that they strongly correlate with one's political views) but if you
really find it "completely false" that increased levels of CO2 increases
temperature may I suggest you redirect your wikipedia to the planet of
Venus?
>> 
> 
> -- 
> Bernard L. Cohen
> Physics Dept., University of Pittsburgh
> Pittsburgh, PA 15260
> Tel: (412)624-9245  Fax: (412)624-9163
> e-mail: blc at pitt.edu  web site: http://www.phyast.pitt.edu/~blc
> 
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