>> I have known Brent for a long time, and think this rather unlikely. He has a string grasp of Physics and other general scientific topics, as well as a lifetime of professional research.
Then he is hoisting himself up with his own petard. Either he needs to be a climate scientist or he doesn't. >> but understanding what is written has a much lower bar. It does. You are now in agreement with me rather than Brent. >> Absolutely. But people without any form of research training would find it very difficult indeed. All attempts to write about science for general consumption are worthless are they, Russell? For example, you spent 5 years translating Bruno's book to what end? No end? I mean if what you say is true you should make absolutely clear to everyone you can that they should not buy the book unless they possess the requisite qualifications which few people are going to have. I don't think you really believe that. I think you believe that core issues about a science can be communicated to lay people sufficiently well for them to make rational decisions about them. Besides which, its just the logic of the situation that even if it where impossible to understand anything about climate science without a PHd in it, statements about consensus would still be empty. It would still be a logical fallacy to proclaim something to be true because of who said it, rather than what was said. >> Sadly, there are very few politicians with that sort of training though. Most politicians have training in Law. A far more subtle and far harder discipline than science. You should give them more credit. > Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2014 09:24:08 +1000 > From: li...@hpcoders.com.au > To: everything-list@googlegroups.com > Subject: Re: If you can't disprove the science, you can always try suing > > On Tue, Apr 08, 2014 at 11:06:09PM +0000, chris peck wrote: > > >> To see if various denier criticisms were valid. > > > > So you accept the claims of climate change advocates as true by default and > > only read those papers which have criticisms leveled at them by deniers? > > That isn't very even handed. > > > > >> I argued that most congressmen wouldn't be able to read them (since very > > >> few are scientists of any kind, much less climate scientists). > > > > If it is important to be a climate scientist to read a climate science > > paper then, again, why do you bother reading them? You are not a climate > > scientist. You do not, on your own account, possess the skills to > > understand them. > > > > I have known Brent for a long time, and think this rather unlikely. He > has a string grasp of Physics and other general scientific topics, as > well as a lifetime of professional research. > > What he probably doesn't have the skills for is to write a climate > science paper and have it accepted in a peer reviewed journal, but > understanding what is written has a much lower bar. > > > > In truth though, it doesn't follow from the fact that someone isn't > a scientist that they can't read or understand a scientific > paper. Thats just tawdry elitism. Since it is possible to teach > children physics, biology, chemistry etc. it is also possible to > explain the important aspects of climate science to congressmen. And > thats what should happen rather than chucking around empty > statements about consensuses or the lack of thereof. > > Absolutely. But people without any form of research training would find it > very difficult indeed. Most people with a PhD in physics, or even a > lesser degree such as a MSc by research or a BSc (hons) could > probably manage, as the science itself is classical. > > Sadly, there are very few politicians with that sort of training though. > > -- > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prof Russell Standish Phone 0425 253119 (mobile) > Principal, High Performance Coders > Visiting Professor of Mathematics hpco...@hpcoders.com.au > University of New South Wales http://www.hpcoders.com.au > > Latest project: The Amoeba's Secret > (http://www.hpcoders.com.au/AmoebasSecret.html) > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Everything List" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to everything-list+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To post to this group, send email to everything-list@googlegroups.com. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to everything-list+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to everything-list@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
