The Global Warming Heretic 1190
theodp writes "In The Civil Heretic, the NYT Magazine takes a look at how world-renowned scientist Freeman Dyson wound up opposing those who care most about global warming. Since coming out of the closet on global warming, Dyson has found himself described as 'a pompous twit,' 'a blowhard,' and 'a mad scientist.' He argues that climate change has become an obsession for 'a worldwide secular religion' known as environmentalism. Dyson has been particularly dismissive of Al Gore, calling him climate change's chief propagandist and accusing him of relying too heavily on computer-generated climate models and promoting 'lousy science' that's distracting attention from more serious and more immediate dangers to the planet."
Dyson himself wrote about the need for heretics in science not long ago.
Re:beacon of hope (Score:5, Funny)
well I don't question myself, I'm pretty much perfetc.
Re:Repent now, the end is near (Score:5, Funny)
Funny how since the beginning of history, groups of people have been claiming that the world is going to end. And it keeps not happening.
"Past Performance is Not Necessarily Indicative of Future Results"
Re:Although I still think global warming real... (Score:3, Funny)
Is there some point you are trying to make?
Re:Read his actual opinions (Score:5, Funny)
His only complaint with the science is that he feels that some of the computer models are fudged to make the results look worse than they might actually be.
An engineer, a mathematician and a computer scientist are being interviewed to become CFO of a big company. The CEO asks, "What is two plus two?"
The engineer whips out his cell phone, uses the calculator, and shows it to the CEO. "Two plus two is four!"
The mathematician whips out his portable whiteboard, scribbles some stuff one it, and shows it to the CEO. "This proves that two plus two is four!"
The computer scientist whips out a computer model, shrugs, sighs and asks, "How much do you want it to be?"
Re:Thank goodness (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Global warming is a politically painful subject (Score:3, Funny)
Your ad hominem attack on the parent poster shows you are a prejudicial bastard that few people would want to be around. Yes. Yes you. Yes way.
Credentials (Score:3, Funny)
Dyson's opinions on climate are as valid as Shockley's on genetics.
The science of global warming is settled (Score:5, Funny)
The votes are in. The cutoff point for new knowledge has passed.
We have to have a cutoff point. Otherwise we might discover we were wr... wr... misinterpreted and taken out of context.
Re:There is money and publicity (Score:1, Funny)
Re:There is money and publicity (Score:1, Funny)
Acid Raaaain! Some stay dry, and others feel the pain! Acid Raaaain!
(**I put on my gas mask so I can breathe)
Re:Repent now, the end is near (Score:3, Funny)
Second, it is also funny how since the beginning of history, groups of people have been claiming that the world is just fine:
Predicting doom may or may not be right. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it does not. It is the merit of the question that has to be addressed, and if the consequences are claimed to be serious it should be a case for increased attention, not discredit.
This post has finally convinced me that global warming is a serious problem.
Re:Repent now, the end is near (Score:4, Funny)
We've killed God around here so people need some fiction to replace it. The people around here, for instance, have global warming. (And when that's not enough, someone always starts up a conversation about superior programming styles or paradigms, which is far more religious than any tent revival I've ever seen.)
For sufficiently secular values of the world religious, yes.
Re:There is money and publicity (Score:2, Funny)
regulation of the free market caused this mess (housing bubble, subprime lending). Further regulation (bailouts etc.) will just mess it up further. The free market works best if it's "free".
Re:Repent now, the end is near (Score:4, Funny)
The Church of GNU Emacs may be sillier than any major religion, but I'm pretty sure that there is a GNU Emacs.
Comment removed (Score:3, Funny)