Irrational Focus

Climategate exposes a far more serious problem than just how our climate is mis-behaving. In the global temperature graphs presented to the world there were originally two significant periods: the Medieval Warming Period (MWP) and a Little Ice Age (LIA). They are discussed in Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_Warm_Period They appear to have been "smoothed" over in some of the climate researchers "graphs". This blog shows the infamous hockey stick graph and tries to defend the practice: http://scienceblogs.com/illconsidered/2006/03/hockey-stick-is-broken.php But it can't be done. You can't justify manipulating the numbers. Science -- some unfortunate souls seem to have forgotten -- is about producing rigid verifiable TRUE results. If two different independent groups study the same phenomenon, and they both use a properly rigorous processes, then they will come to the same results. The results are reproducible and verifiable. If...

Some may think that humanity's impending doom comes from the recklessness in which we treat our world. We consume and pollute without consequence or remorse. Some may think that it comes from our out-of-control population growth. Like an evil tide, we flow over the land bringing destruction and mayhem to each and every corner. Some may think that it comes from technology. That our limited intellect allows us to create things faster than we can understand them. But the real truth is that it comes from our own arrogance. From our ability to easily lie and cover up the truth when it turns out not to be convenient to our world view. From our ability to justify our loathsome methods, if we think the cause is even mildly noble. From our belief that we can fool each other and won't ever get caught, even though history is proof to the contrary. Our impending doom comes not from our possible changes to the climate, but from the scientists supposedly studying it using "scien...

Free trips on the TTC? I came across a site that suggested that ALL mass transit systems should be FREE. At first glance, I figured the idea was crazy, but when you think about it: - it wastes tonnes of money to figure out who paid - it means way more infrastructure: people, tokens, tickets, transfers, booths, - it means horrible line-ups - it means people won't just wait, if the system is too busy If it is free, people will get on and off a lot more. Which is actually a good thing, particularity in this age of green awareness. It may just be so easy to bus there, then walk home (or partway home). Dropping the cost to zero liberates the system. Why do we waste all of this money? So that people who use the system "more often", pay more? Who are these people anyways? The poor? If we just made it free: - more people would use it, and for shorter trips, - line-ups would be easier. - people choosing to use their cars would pay "extra" (for unused s...