Comments on: Anecdotal Science http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2006/06/abcnews_is_aski.html Dispatches from a Small Business Sun, 12 Feb 2012 02:42:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Sean http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2006/06/abcnews_is_aski.html/comment-page-1#comment-2744 Sean Mon, 10 Jul 2006 17:07:04 +0000 http://coyote-blog.com/wordpress/2006/06/abcnews_is_aski.html#comment-2744 <p>haha! sweet! people can be so goofy</p> haha! sweet! people can be so goofy

]]> By: Anon http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2006/06/abcnews_is_aski.html/comment-page-1#comment-2743 Anon Tue, 27 Jun 2006 16:00:49 +0000 http://coyote-blog.com/wordpress/2006/06/abcnews_is_aski.html#comment-2743 <p>I should also point out that that CO2 levels are increasing is also an established fact. Now, it's possible, in theory, that we are not causing that increase. But the simplest theory for why CO2 levels are increasing is because we are dumping a bunch of it into the atmosphere, and Occam's razor would suggest going with that as a working hypothesis.</p> I should also point out that that CO2 levels are increasing is also an established fact. Now, it’s possible, in theory, that we are not causing that increase. But the simplest theory for why CO2 levels are increasing is because we are dumping a bunch of it into the atmosphere, and Occam’s razor would suggest going with that as a working hypothesis.

]]> By: Anon http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2006/06/abcnews_is_aski.html/comment-page-1#comment-2742 Anon Tue, 27 Jun 2006 15:51:42 +0000 http://coyote-blog.com/wordpress/2006/06/abcnews_is_aski.html#comment-2742 <p>Well, after reading the link, I don't see where ABC is directly claiming that these anecdotes are scientific evidence for anthropogenic climate change. In fact, one could actually argue that what they are asking for is readers/viewers to send in their observations that suggest global warming. Is it scientific? Yes and no. Science is based on observations, but obviously these "stories" are not going to have sufficient scientific controls to be useful, other than to suggest possible areas of investigation.</p> <p>If you think about the kinds of stories that people might send in, it doesn't seem so ridiculous. If someone sends in something like, "Yeah, well, it seems warmer these years", that is obviously pretty silly. But suppose a small farmer whose family has produced maple syrup for the past 100 years has detailed records of when they have started to collect sap. Suppose they produce a graph that shows a clear trend. That would not seem so silly, would it? (Note that I'm not saying that such a graph immediately means we should start reducing carbon emissions. Far from it.)</p> <p>In other words, perhaps we should wait to see what kind of stories ABC publishes before making fun of them. If they publish a bunch of silly ones and try to claim that this is scientific evidence for reducing carbon emissions, then we can make fun of them.</p> <p>Furthermore, that there is global warming has never been in question. There are historical records for that. What is in question is HOW MUCH of the global warming is caused by human activities, and what, if anything, should be done about it.</p> Well, after reading the link, I don’t see where ABC is directly claiming that these anecdotes are scientific evidence for anthropogenic climate change. In fact, one could actually argue that what they are asking for is readers/viewers to send in their observations that suggest global warming. Is it scientific? Yes and no. Science is based on observations, but obviously these “stories” are not going to have sufficient scientific controls to be useful, other than to suggest possible areas of investigation.

If you think about the kinds of stories that people might send in, it doesn’t seem so ridiculous. If someone sends in something like, “Yeah, well, it seems warmer these years”, that is obviously pretty silly. But suppose a small farmer whose family has produced maple syrup for the past 100 years has detailed records of when they have started to collect sap. Suppose they produce a graph that shows a clear trend. That would not seem so silly, would it? (Note that I’m not saying that such a graph immediately means we should start reducing carbon emissions. Far from it.)

In other words, perhaps we should wait to see what kind of stories ABC publishes before making fun of them. If they publish a bunch of silly ones and try to claim that this is scientific evidence for reducing carbon emissions, then we can make fun of them.

Furthermore, that there is global warming has never been in question. There are historical records for that. What is in question is HOW MUCH of the global warming is caused by human activities, and what, if anything, should be done about it.

]]> By: Janice http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2006/06/abcnews_is_aski.html/comment-page-1#comment-2741 Janice Sun, 25 Jun 2006 05:06:55 +0000 http://coyote-blog.com/wordpress/2006/06/abcnews_is_aski.html#comment-2741 <p>Hahaha. I read this aloud to someone. This was awesome.</p> Hahaha. I read this aloud to someone. This was awesome.

]]> By: Craig L http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2006/06/abcnews_is_aski.html/comment-page-1#comment-2740 Craig L Sat, 24 Jun 2006 02:29:59 +0000 http://coyote-blog.com/wordpress/2006/06/abcnews_is_aski.html#comment-2740 <p>I have seen links to this on several blogs, each accompanied by sardonic submissions similar to yours. I would love to see ABC execs (or interns, I suppose) reading all of them. I predict ABC won't get much of a story out of this.</p> I have seen links to this on several blogs, each accompanied by sardonic submissions similar to yours. I would love to see ABC execs (or interns, I suppose) reading all of them. I predict ABC won’t get much of a story out of this.

]]> By: markm http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2006/06/abcnews_is_aski.html/comment-page-1#comment-2739 markm Fri, 23 Jun 2006 20:52:47 +0000 http://coyote-blog.com/wordpress/2006/06/abcnews_is_aski.html#comment-2739 <p>More carbon dioxide is likely to make all plants grow faster. Such as food crops. Of course, the way the reporters will spin that is, "Global warming causing obesity, and it's Bush's fault." But if third-worlders are not starving as much, it must be thanks to the UN and nothing to do with global warming or America exporting better agricultural technology...</p> More carbon dioxide is likely to make all plants grow faster. Such as food crops. Of course, the way the reporters will spin that is, “Global warming causing obesity, and it’s Bush’s fault.” But if third-worlders are not starving as much, it must be thanks to the UN and nothing to do with global warming or America exporting better agricultural technology…

]]> By: Sol http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2006/06/abcnews_is_aski.html/comment-page-1#comment-2738 Sol Fri, 23 Jun 2006 18:52:07 +0000 http://coyote-blog.com/wordpress/2006/06/abcnews_is_aski.html#comment-2738 <p>One of our newspapers this week had a story on how global warming was going to make poison ivy a lot worse. Or at least, that was the slant given the headline and story. When you actually read the details it turns out that added carbon dioxide in the atmosphere makes it grow faster and stronger. As far as I could tell from the article, the actual temperature didn't enter into the equation at all.</p> <p>Seems they are so eager to make global warming a big story that they will grasp at anything to make a story fit the template. Ironic thing here is that this story (assuming it's true) will be an issue even if global warming turns out to be BS! It's not really a story about warming, it's a story about carbon dioxide pollution, which is very real.</p> One of our newspapers this week had a story on how global warming was going to make poison ivy a lot worse. Or at least, that was the slant given the headline and story. When you actually read the details it turns out that added carbon dioxide in the atmosphere makes it grow faster and stronger. As far as I could tell from the article, the actual temperature didn’t enter into the equation at all.

Seems they are so eager to make global warming a big story that they will grasp at anything to make a story fit the template. Ironic thing here is that this story (assuming it’s true) will be an issue even if global warming turns out to be BS! It’s not really a story about warming, it’s a story about carbon dioxide pollution, which is very real.

]]> By: Captain Midnight http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2006/06/abcnews_is_aski.html/comment-page-1#comment-2737 Captain Midnight Fri, 23 Jun 2006 14:59:05 +0000 http://coyote-blog.com/wordpress/2006/06/abcnews_is_aski.html#comment-2737 <p>"The plural of anecdote is not data."</p> <p>That's my favorite phrase when confronted with yahoos who thing that someone's grandpa muttering about the winters he had as a kid has some scientific weight when compared with recorded temperatures of the period.</p> “The plural of anecdote is not data.”

That’s my favorite phrase when confronted with yahoos who thing that someone’s grandpa muttering about the winters he had as a kid has some scientific weight when compared with recorded temperatures of the period.

]]> By: TC http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2006/06/abcnews_is_aski.html/comment-page-1#comment-2736 TC Fri, 23 Jun 2006 05:43:38 +0000 http://coyote-blog.com/wordpress/2006/06/abcnews_is_aski.html#comment-2736 <p>Most excellent!</p> Most excellent!

]]>