Coldest Winter in 1000 Years Cometh – not.
This claim circulates in the internet and in many mainstream media as well: Scientists have allegedly predicted the coldest winter in 1,000 years for Europe. What is behind it? Nothing – no scientist has predicted anything like it. A Polish tabloid made up the story. An interesting lesson about today´s media.
The Truth Is Out There : The Last Word On Nothing
“Here’s the deal,” he [the scientist] went on. “What we’re doing is weirder and more interesting than anything you’re already imagining.”
That argument, too, went nowhere. But it was worth a try, I think, because it’s the truth.
To my dear wife mia_mcdavid!
From Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal Via Skepchick.
Irish Class, November 29, 2010
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Fadas: áéíóúÁÉÍÓÚ
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This was an all-class session, filled with quizzes and games. Not much formal instruction.
One of the quiz answers:
Ní itheann sí go minic, sin é a fáth go bhfuil sí tanaí.
struck close to home.
Irish Class, November 22, 2010
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Fadas: áéíóúÁÉÍÓÚ
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Most of the class time was taken up with this story.
While predictions from 35 years ago are holding up quite well.
Somehow it has entered popular culture that people (normal adults, not undergoing torture or otherwise in pain) should want to
scream as loud they can, and indeed should pay for the opportunity to do in a crowd. See these images from the downtown Minneapolis Skyway:
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I find the idea of being in such environments to be absolutely terrifying. Every time I see one of these posters I get this urge to run off to a library, or maybe a monastery.
This seems to be part of a trend. Recall this story, which I linked to last summer (h/t jeff_duntemann).
I was going to add some dark musings about what this means for communication, society, and humanity, but I will leave these as exercises for the reader.
