Come on, you can figure out how this applies to those stories about Obama’s secret orders — or more accurately, the lack of those orders. From Neil deGrasse Tyson and the argument from ignorance, presented at St. Petersburg College, Florida, 2007:
Tip of the old scrub brush to Neil deGrasse Tyson, and his Tweet.
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Evidence, History, How do we know what we know, Law, Science | Tagged: Argument from Ignorance, Evidence, History, How do we know what we know, Law, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Obama's socialism, Science, St. Petersburg College, UFOs | 
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Posted by Ed Darrell
Here’s another example of where historians show their value in science debates.
Naomi Oreskes delivered this lecture a few years ago on denialism in climate science. Among other targets of her criticism-by-history is my old friend Robert Jastrow. I think her history is correct, and her views on the Marshall Institute and denial of climate change informative in the minimum, and correct on the judgment of the facts.
You’ll recognize some of the names: Jastrow, Frederick Seitz, S. Fred Singer, and William Nierenberg.
Oreskes details the intentional political skewing of science by critics of the serious study of climate warming. It’s just under an hour long, but well worth watching. Dr. Oreskes is Professor of History in the Science Studies Program at the University of California at San Diego. The speech is titled “The American Denial of Global Warming.”
If Oreskes is right — and I invite you to check her references thoroughly, to discover for yourself that her history and science are both solid — Lord Monckton is a hoaxster. Notice especially the references after the 54 minute mark to the tactic of claiming that scientists are trying to get Americans to give up our sovereignty.
Nothing new under the sun.
“Global warming is here, and there are almost no communists left,” Oreskes said.
Nudge your neighbor:
46 Comments | Accuracy, air pollution, Business Ethics, Capturing history, Clean Air Act, Climate change, climate_change, Conservation, Cost of Green, denialism, Environmental protection, Evidence, Fairness Doctrine, Free press, Global warming, History, History of Science, How do we know what we know, Junk science, Newspapers, oceans, Physics, Politics, Polling and Public Opinion, Research, Science, War on Science | Tagged: Accuracy, Climate change, denialism, Fred Singer, Global warming, Hoaxes, Naomi Oreskes, Perspectives on Ocean Science, Robert Jastrow, Science, Tobacco Institute, Tobacco Strategy, University of California-San Diego, Voodoo science, War on Science | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Dara O’Briain? Never heard of him before.
But he’s spot on here, isn’t he?
(Warning: Not exactly safe for work or school — the “f” word is spoken aloud.]
An ironic tip of the old scrub brush to Gandolf, in comments at Dunamis Word, in an otherwise futile discussion with creationists who claim to have an ounce of rationality left in them.
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Posted by Ed Darrell
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Ed Darrell on Texas's Colorado River
Come on in, the water's fine. Come often: Cleanliness is next to godliness.
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 