The media are still stupid.

Aug 02, 2011 19:59

From the AP:

Northeast braces for temps near boiling point ( Read more... )

Leave a comment

Comments 6

seawasp August 3 2011, 03:09:14 UTC
I blame the stupid metric system. It made boiling 100 degrees, and most of the world has adopted it, so now people get confused in conversation as to which degrees are in use.

Reply


lds August 3 2011, 14:26:57 UTC
Now, why do you suppose the people who were so adamant that a few snowy days last winter meant global warming was disproved are suddenly so very, very quiet? Shouldn't they have something to say on this subject?

Reply

tomcatshanger August 3 2011, 17:29:26 UTC
hu? Heat waves have never happened before?

Global warming MUST be to blame for hot weather?

I don't have any idea if I qualify in your hypothetical group, but it takes a special kind of mind set to believe the climate has never changed before we started doing whatever behavior is to blame this week.

Reply

lds August 3 2011, 17:53:44 UTC
Nope; not my point.

My point is to make fun of people who fall prey to a common logical fallacy. It's so common, there's even a funny name for it: "It's cold today in Wagga Wagga." It's not a formal logical fallacy; it's basically misunderstanding the definition of "global warming" in the first place, and therefore being unable to argue the point intelligently. If we have to categorize it, then, it would be "strawman" in the same sense that creationists don't know what evolution is, so they refute a bunch of stuff that isn't evolution, instead.

Having a heat wave for a short time in a very small geographical area does not mean "global warming" is happening, because "global warming" doesn't care what the temperature is in any one place at any one time.

Similarly, having a cold snap for a short time in a very small geographical area does not mean "global warming" is disproved, because "global warming" doesn't care what the temperature is in any one place at any one time ( ... )

Reply

spotboy August 4 2011, 11:40:36 UTC
My feeling was sort of the opposite. About 10 years ago we had a hot year, and all the global warming people went nuts, saying it was proof. The next year was cool, but on the hot days you heard the same thing. I am sure people on both sides do lots of it, reinforcement bias being a universal human tendency.

Reply


Leave a comment

Up