From climate change to vaccines, evolution to flu, denialists are on the march. Why are so many people refusing to accept what the evidence is telling them?
In this special feature we look at the phenomenon in depth. What is denial? What attracts people to it? How does it start, and how does it spread? And finally, how should we respond to it?
Via Skepchick
After the volcano: Earthly powers
It is a peculiar, if blessed, sort of natural disaster in which nobody dies.
[….]
One of the things that went missing in the shadow of that volcanic dust was a sense of human power. And as with the quiet skies, this absence found a welcome in many hearts. The idea that humans, for all their technological might, could be put in their place by this volcano—this obscure, unpronounceable, C-list volcano—was strangely satisfying, even thrilling.
See Aardvarchaeology
The whole thing is pretty pointless from a climate-historical perspective as the trees are known to record summer rainfall well, but not temperature. To archaeology and dendrochronology, however, it is in my opinion excellent news. Academic dendrochronology needs a new open-source business model if it is to act as a fully scientific discipline. The Belfast ruling is a step in the right direction, even though it has been forced for the wrong reasons.
In response to Climate sceptic wins landmark data victory ‘for price of a stamp’
The Sokal hoax came out in 1996, not too far from AFD. I first read about it in the restrained pages of Physics Today, but I like Salon’s account. I have never been able to take postmodernism seriously since then. H.L. Mencken would have loved it. See also
Today is Ada Lovelace Day
In accordance with the Pledge, I would like to recognize the work of Margaret Geller . She and John Huchra discovered the Great Wall. This is one of the largest objects in the universe: Over 500 million light years long. That is 5,000 times the diameter of our entire galaxy.
My contribution last year is here.
At the breakfast table this morning this subject came up, so I decided to put together this collection. It did not take long:
This is not an academic issue for me and mia_mcdavid.
Also, I have a big personal issue with the idea that anecdotes and media fluff are the same as real science: Back in the ’90’s somebody who followed that stuff once suggested that I had abused my children.
From Hilbert Space to Dilbert Space, and beyond 