[geeks] Global warming, was Mr Bill?

[Shannon Hendrix]

On Sep 18, 2008, at 19:58 , wa2egp at att.net wrote:

>> Consensus means nothing.
>>
>> --Patrick
>
> I wouldn't rate financial experts equal to scientists.  Two  
> completely different worlds.  I also don't think there was a  
> consensus of financial experts commenting on those companies now in  
> trouble.

I'd be careful there.

A lot of scientists are just as bad as economists/finance guys on  
stuff like this.

I've seen scientists thoughtlessly jump on one bandwagon after another  
for years.

Doctors do it too, as you can see by the massive fraud and malpractice  
in the pharmaceutical industry.

When I was growing up, the "consensus" among scientists was that I'd  
see an ice age before I was 40.  One of my professors in college told  
us about it, and how many of his colleagues got sucked into it without  
really doing their own work.  He had himself done work that suggested  
it could be happening, but avoided the popularity contest that  
consensus had become back then.

It happens all the time.

A number of "scientists" area also taking money, which is also not at  
all new.

Global warming, regardless of what caused it or if it exists, is big  
business and big political power.

If "consensus" turns around and they think it's an ice age after all,  
big money and political power will come out of that too, and will have  
equal effect on people's behavior.




-- 
"Where some they sell their dreams for small desires."