Helping “Conservatives” understand Science

Recently in a conversation with a self-proclaimed conservative about global climate change I was told that numbers can say anything, that there is no consensus on global climate change and its connection to man’s activities.  It was explained to me that numbers can be audited to get at the truth of things.  So I asked to be pointed to one audit in a credible scientific journal that proved that global climate change was the hoax he and other conservatives claim it to be.  The reply I got back was the typical whoa, you mean an audit in those liberal environmental whacko sources.

This of course made no sense, there is a well established process by which science works and is published through peer-reviewed journals.  You basically could say science gets “audited” before it is even published.  Of course no audit system is perfect and occasionally we find errors in this process.  The way these errors are caught is that science demands that experimental data be replicable.  An example, if you publish a paper and claim you have a process for producing energy via cold fusion, your data may look good enough to get you published.  However, when no one, following the process you outlined, can replicate your results you quickly get doubted and then discredited in the scientific community.

So why did I get such a disjointed reply?  I was confused for a bit then it dawned on me, conservatives don’t understand science or the scientific method because it is so foreign to the way they have been indoctrinated to think.   So I thought I would take a minute tonight to help them out, you know, the sort of thing I learned we should do under the philosophy of compassionate conservatism espoused by a former conservative president.

Science is a system of inquiry by which people ask questions about the world around them.   You look at some phenomena and you take an educated guess about what’s going on.  Under the scientific method  you then construct an experiment to gather data, and then analyze the data to see what rational conclusions you can draw from that data.  So far I think all of you on the right are with me, but hang on, this is where the right turn comes.   You do all of this without having pre-determined the answer, you actually look at the data objectively as opposed to looking at it to make sure it fits the requirements of a particular, let’s say as an example conservative ideology.

Many times the conclusions we draw from experiments in science provide us results in directions we never even expected in the first place and that’s when science gets exciting for us, because it provides so many more questions.   For this very reason much of science is funded by public institutions and governments.  Why is that?  Well the fact is when private companies do research they have limited acceptable answers.  For example, if you’re a tobacco company and doing experiments to see if smoking causes lung cancer and your results suggest it does, then you can’t use that work because it goes against your dominant paradigm that suggests smoking is not harmful.  This is considered very bad science by cigarette companies, but a good conservative capitalistic process.

Conservatives have been taught to “think” by the leaders of their movement like Limbaugh, Bush, Cheney, Fox News and Rove that answers that don’t fit their dominant paradigm, conservatism, cannot possibly be correct so those conclusions must be based on faulty data or conclusions.  Not surprisingly, if the same process produced answers in support of the dominant paradigm, the data, analysis and conclusions are of course beyond reproach.  It’s a hypocritical position without a logical foundation but that is a fundamental characteristic of all “isms.”

You see conservatism isn’t alone in this flaw; it applies to liberalism, capitalism, socialism, environmentalism, etc…  It also applies to any extreme position in any belief system or religion.  It is this type of thinking that led to decades of denial that smoking was harmful, to wars like Vietnam or the invasion of Iraq.

I’m not advocating that science should be our sole philosophy or that scientists should run the world.  However I believe we’d be in much better shape if our government, the public, our political talking heads and media would take the time to develop a better understanding of the scientific method and critical thinking in general, it’s a dream I have.

Fun Friday: Fun Science

Today we focus on fun science, and we go from interesting video’s to the truly insane.  Don’t we all have a friend who caused a large explosion in their own house on Thanksgiving and burned off their eyebrows?  Today’s Fun Friday dedicated to my friend Keith.  And as such let me just say I’m posting these videos for entertainment purposes only an idiot would do this stuff at home and would probably earn a Darwin Award in the process, you’ve been warned.

First a video a roundup of the highlights from 2012 for NPRs Science Friday  http://www.sciencefriday.com/video/01/04/2013/reel-science-friday-2012-highlights.html

Also from Science Friday some cool time lapse photography http://www.sciencefriday.com/video/12/21/2012/shooting-stars.html

A set of odd and bizarre science facts  http://www.2spare.com/item_39909.aspx

Theo Gray has just become my new favorite scientists, 7 experiments from his book Theo Gray’s Mad Science:  Experiments you can do at home but probably shouldn’t; http://www.neatorama.com/spotlight/2010/02/13/7-mad-science-experiments-you-can-do-at-home-but-probably-shouldnt/

Even more deranged science experiments  http://mad-science.wonderhowto.com/

Finally, build your own parabolic solar death ray, some videos

Demos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QbX3Fhlm-8

My favorite one  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtzRAjW6KO0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItQ6hkJ8SGI

How to

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St-0HWKAY4k

http://www.ehow.com/how_6163713_make-parabolic-mirrors.html

Where to buy what you are seeing

http://greenpowerscience.com/SHOPHOME.html

The Return of Fun Friday

 

Well it’s been awhile but it’s back, a collection of amusements for your Friday happiness.

An optical illusion art exhibit in NYC  http://www.sciencefriday.com/video/10/12/2012/step-into-an-optical-illusion.html

The infamous Poop and Paddle  http://www.sciencefriday.com/video/08/17/2012/poop-and-paddle.html

Microscopic movie stars  http://www.sciencefriday.com/video/08/03/2012/microscopic-movie-stars.html

 Happy Friday!

Fun Friday: Cool Science Videos

Fun Friday: Cool Science Videos

 

A homemade built death-ray very cool

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtzRAjW6KO0

 

Simple and totally cool science tricks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_f3SkxTWxc

 

And 10 more from the same dude

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYK3W9WqbGw

 

From NPR Science Friday’s site

 

A LEGO shuttle goes into space

http://www.sciencefriday.com/videos/watch/10435

 

A cool lab video on lab animal biomechanics

http://www.sciencefriday.com/videos/watch/10434

 

Glorious pigeon videos

http://www.sciencefriday.com/videos/watch/10417

 

If you don’t believe in Global Warming, you’re an idiot

If you don’t believe in Global Warming, you’re an idiot

If you don’t believe in Global Warming, you’re an idiot; you might think that is a strong statement but really it’s not.  Let’s define Global Warming, simply it is the fact that the average global temperature of the earth is increasing.  There is plenty of data from ice core samples to support this, as well as the correlation with CO2 but that’s ok, we don’t have to go there, just look at the graph below recording the temperatures we have measured.

Now sure, you can say it’s just a fluke or a short-term trend but you can’t deny that temperatures are rising or that the top 10 hottest years have all occurred in the last 15 years.  So Global Warming is a fact plain and simple, if you don’t believe in facts than you’re an idiot.

Now what most people want to argue about are two things, first whether or not there is a long-term warming trend and whether or not the warming is caused by human activity.  Below is a NASA site that provides all of the information you could ever want about Global Warming, including the uncertainties we have about climate science.  That’s right, as any good scientist will admit, we don’t know everything about how the climate works.  There are things that are still mysteries to science, like why winter Antarctic sea ice has grown in area over the last few years.  We don’t understand all of the intricacies of how the Earth’s climate regulates itself.  But just because we don’t understand every detail of the mechanism doesn’t mean we’re wrong.  We don’t understand every detail about how gravity works, and if you think that fact means that the science is crap, well then you go and jump off a roof and we’ll see if the theory of gravity holds for you.  And by the way, since you only believe in science where you can easily understand everything, please explain to me the details of the workings of the internal combustion engine, or start walking to work.

A definitive site on the evidence for global climate change showing evidence for each category of evidence showing how the earth is changing.  http://climate.nasa.gov/keyIndicators/

To see more of the arguments that skeptics have about Global Warming and the scientific response check-out the following link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703819904574551303527570212.html

And if you buy the idea that no one is convinced by this, take a look at the following Creation Science site  http://www.icr.org/article/evidence-for-global-warming/

On the flip side I also hear a lot by climate deniers about how scientists don’t believe in Global Warming either, well take a gander at the following survey data: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/01/19/eco.globalwarmingsurvey/

Finally if you don’t think the world is warming, if you don’t think this is a significant issue than answer a couple of questions.  Why are the Antarctic ice sheets melting, why are global glaciers disappearing, why is the permafrost thawing?  

While most of you can afford not to care, we’re talking about global climate and things moving on a geologic scale, even when change happens quickly by geologic time it typically takes centuries for impacts to show.  So most of you will likely be dead when the real nasty effects kick in.  However, there has been some recent work that shows that occasionally, and granted this would be a rarity, that massive global sea level change can happen very, very quickly and may be related to cultural memories of the great flood.  Additionally, there exists the possibility that melting ice could quickly disrupt Atlantic currents and paradoxically plunge North America and Europe into a mini ice age.

So who knows, there might be a reason for you to be worried after all and I haven’t even mentioned the potential severe weather impacts that might occur.  Do you live in tornado country, along the coast in the hurricane zones, maybe near a major river?  Sleep tight, I’m sure this is all just a bad dream.

Fun Friday: The Poop and Paddle

Fun Friday: The Poop and Paddle

Yes for today’s post may I present a short video via NPR Science Friday on the Poop & Paddle, enjoy:

http://www.sciencefriday.com/videos/watch/10402

A little thing called science people: Global Warming, Evolution and the Moon Landing

There are three science topics that I hear discussed all of the time and it really irks me at one level and makes me completely sad at another as to how little understanding people have of science.  So let’s tackle the big three; Evolution, Global Warming and the Moon Landing.  Let’s be clear before you get into the details, all three have solid, solid evidence and for the record, evolution is occurring, the world is warming and man has walked on the moon.  These statements are based on the analysis of the data, not on my feelings, beliefs or political leanings.  The best example I can give you of what that means is this, I have felt fine and the normal indications of high blood sugar levels that include blisters on my feet, blurry vision, and getting up to urinate many times at night were not occurring, however, my blood glucose test came back showing my blood sugar is very high.  So regardless of my belief that it wasn’t high, the data shows otherwise, this is the case with these three issues.  Everyone would consider me an idiot if I were to say I don’t care what the data says, I’m not a diabetic or it’s just a conspiracy by the drug companies, you can’t believe the data.

First let’s look at Evolution, Charles Darwin is most often given the credit for the “Theory of Evolution”, that is incorrect.  Darwin was not even close to the first scientist to consider the possibility that species changed or evolved over time, he was however the first to put it all together and provide a mechanism, which he called natural selection.  Now there are almost no biologists and very few other types of scientists who don’t acknowledge that evolution is a fact.  Heck, the evidence that evolution occurs is so overwhelming that even creationists who disavow evolution typically agree the micro-evolution occurs.  The big argument for them is that species cannot evolve over time to create new species.   Contrary to what many of them claim, there is a ton of evidence showing the veracity of the evolutionary process.  There is still some discussion as to whether or not natural selection is the whole mechanism, personally I think it’s about 90% of the mechanism but that’s a much deeper discussion.  Below is a link to a site that will give you all the details on the evidence:

http://anthro.palomar.edu/evolve/evolve_3.htm

Next Global Warming, THERE IS NO DISPUTE WHAT SO EVER, THAT THE EARTH IS WARMING!  No one who can read a graph can argue with this, the earth’s average temperature has increased 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880.  I know, 1.4 degrees sounds like nothing, however that level of temperature change over the entire planet will soon:  leave Mt. Kilimanjaro snow less; has greatly impacted the glaciers of the Himalayas; and affected the arctic sea ice to such a level that Polar Bears may be facing extinction in the near future.    Here’s a link to the basics of what’s happening:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1206_041206_global_warming.html

The only real question at this point is how much is human activity impacting the rate of warming, the evidence is pretty good, that it is significant.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1206_041206_global_warming_2.html

Now the one that really pisses me off, the idea that we did not walk on the moon.  I’m not the only one who gets angry, astronaut Buzz Aldrin once punched a famous hoaxer in the mouth after the guy harassed the hell out of him.  This idea has so much proof behind it I don’t even know where to start.  First, thousands of people had to have been on the conspiracy and not a single person has ever come forward with any proof that we didn’t walk on the moon.  All of the crap the hoaxers claim, the shadows are wrong, the flag is flapping, the footprints couldn’t be formed have all been shown multiple times to be false.  Probably the most entertaining way they have been debunked was on a Mythbusters episode dedicated to this very question.  Wikipedia has a surprisingly thorough discussion of almost every aspect of the hoaxers arguments and the rebuttals:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_landing_conspiracy_theories

Finally the most convincing evidence is the presence of retroreflectors on the moon.  These reflectors can be hit with a high power laser on Earth and return a high level signal from the moon.  This has been done literally over ten thousand times since the sixties.  So in order for the moon landing to be faked, there have to be thousands of conspirators at major universities all over the world participating in the hoax, I don’t think that’s happening, here’s a link to what the reflectors  are and do:

http://physics.ucsd.edu/~tmurphy/apollo/lrrr.html

Fun Friday: An Immortal Jellyfish

So here’s an animal that may actually be immortal, it has the ability to revert back to it’s polyp stage and then grow back into an adult, effectively the equivalent of a human being able to reverse their age, absolutely amazing.

The Immortal Jellyfish

 

You can read more about this amazing animal at:

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/guest_bloggers/26/the-world-s-only-immortal-animal.html

Fun Friday: Time Travelers Among Us?!

Ok so this has been a weird sort of synchronous week, last Saturday while watching college football the announcers and graphics were showing a term FBS.  Now I’ve been watching college football for a long time and I had no idea what that meant, yet the announcers were tossing around like they’d been using it their whole life.  Turns out it means football bowl subdivision, but it’s a new term to me, I had an odd thought at the time, “hey this is exactly the kind of little changes we would see if some time traveler went back in time and screwed up the timeline.”  For those of you who are not science fiction nerds like me there is a rule with time travel, never do anything that would impact the future.  But of course, inevitably in every science fiction story some little mistake leads to some minor change at the end with a wink and a nod.

Anyway I probably would have forgotten for this in a week or two but then today a headline caught my attention, “Time Traveler Caught on Film in 1928.”  The story which if you haven’t seen it is linked below, is that in the extra footage at the back of a DVD of Charlie Chaplin’s The Circus there is a woman walking along talking on what looks like a cell phone.  Now of course it’s not a cell phone, lack of towers an all, but it could be a mobile communication device or even a small voice recorder.  In one angle of the slow motion feed, you can clearly see her talking.

http://forgetomori.com/2010/fortean/time-traveller-in-charlie-chaplin-movie/

Now some of the theories are that she’s using an ear-trumpet or scratching her ear but it sure is a tantalizing piece of evidence to talk about.  Now let’s go a little further down the rabbit hole and take a look at another photo from 1905 of someone people refer to as “the punk.”  Of course this picture to me isn’t all that convincing it looks to me like a guy with an unfortunate loss of hair leaving him with a sad mohawk-like hair remainder.  Take a look for yourself.

http://forgetomori.com/2010/fortean/do-you-feel-lucky-time-traveler-punk/

Now the really interesting piece to me is a photograph referred to as the hipster.  In the picture that I’ve linked to below a crowd is looking at the opening of a bridge in 1940.  In the crowd is someone who really seems out-of-place, there is even a woman looking at him kind of funny and a guy to his side sort of sneering down at him.  This is a museum photo, now found as an image in a virtual museum and is really quite intriguing.  Analysis seems to validate this as a photo that has not been digitally altered, so we’ll leave it for you to decide, just a weird guy or a time traveler caught on film?

http://forgetomori.com/2010/fortean/time-traveler-caught-in-museum-photo/

Fun Friday: Goldilock’s zones, planets with water and stupid scientists!

Ok, first off let’s celebrate the good news, this is the first extra-solar planet found in the so-called Goldilocks Zone.  What this means is that astronomers have located a planet outside of our solar system that is at the right distance from its sun to potentially have liquid water on its surface.  The following link gives a few more details on the discovery:

http://www.newsopi.com/tech/gliese-581-g-new-planet-discovered-2010/4536/

The next link however shows a scientist, Steven Vogt an astronomer at the University of California at Santa Cruz saying something incredibly stupid.  The two quotes he gives are, first: “The chances for life on this planet are 100 percent.” Referring to Gliese 581g and secondly, “I have almost no doubt about it.”  Ok, dumbass, almost no doubt or 100 percent please make up your freakin mind they are not the same!  I’m sure he’s a smart guy and was just excited about the discovery, and the link above has sound bites that are much more coherent but damn it man you’re a scientist not a brick layer!  So act like it!  Here’s the link:

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/30/100-percent-chance-for-life-on-newly-found-planet/

Here is the real problem with the article, and that is that these scientists have a seriously limited view of life.  I know, you’ve learned your whole life that life on earth is carbon based life, which needs oxygen to survive and liquid water.  Except for the fact that this statement does not even hold true for all life on Earth.  There are hydrothermal vent communities in the ocean that are sulphur based and live in insanely hot water.  There are bacteria that process iron, organisms that live in the dark or in the ice.  We have even theorize that there are living organisms on moons in our solar system that may live in liquid hydrocarbons instead of liquid water.  So what really bothers me is that although we know all of this, narrow-minded astronomers like Dr. Vogt seem to continue to insist that life in the universe has to work the same way it works here, well sir, grow an imagination will you.

Link to hydrothermal vent community information;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrothermal_vent