Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Y'know: Sometimes PHD just stands for Piled Higher and Deeper

Apparently, some guy named Robert B. Laughlin published an essay in something calling itself The American Scholar, in which he claims anthropogenic global warming isn't a problem because the Earth is really old, it's been raining all that time, yet we're not completely flooded out, so there. Also, sometimes it takes rocks a long time to erode, did you know that?

Naturally, this caused long-time denialist George F. Will's bow tie to tumesce, although to his credit, he managed to hold off until his second sentence before ejaculating that Laughlin was "the co-winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Physics."

That Laughlin's prize was awarded "for discovery of a new form of quantum fluid with fractionally charged excitations" was, somehow, not considered worth sharing by Mr. Eff Will. Or maybe he forgot it in all the excitement of retyping the good parts about how the Earth is really old, so therefore, you hippies should just STFU with your concerns about how dumping stuff into the atmosphere is going to make life unpleasant for humans, because we haven't been around all that long, compared to the Earth, and anyway, NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSICS, AMIRITE?

All this is to say that Andrew Revkin sought some responses from scientists who actually specialize in the relevant fields, and they are well worth reading.

16 comments:

Rick said...

Fools! The earth is expanding:

http://www.expanding-earth.org/

This has the effect of moving us closer to the clouds, making it seem like it rains more.
This pseudo-science must stop!

bjkeefe said...

ROFL!

Oh, man. That's a new one on me.

bjkeefe said...

And holy mackerel, there's more than one of these sites. In addition to what you offered, there is also ExpandingEarth.com, which by the way bills itself in the title bar when you visit its home page title as "ExpandingEarth.org." A battle between titans for Web supremacy!

Also, this site says right there on its home page: "What role would an expanding Earth play in global warming?" Scary stuff! And then we find somewhere down below an "Open Letter to All Scientists," which among other gems includes this (emph. orig):

==========
A secondary objective of this letter is to point out that the global warming debate is missing the key element of global growth and expansion. Constant growth and expansion of the Earth may well be responsible for some of the observed elevation in global temperatures, but is not included in the current global warming debate because scientists are not aware the Earth is growing and expanding.
==========

!!!

Fortunately, the Science of Expanding Earthiness provides us some reassurance, also:

==========
One frightening scenario in the global warming debate is truly misleading—the threat that coastal cities may be engulfed by a rise in sea levels. This is unlikely because the ocean basins are constantly widening, thereby providing additional capacity for increases in cubic volume of water.
==========

So we got that going for us, at least.

Ocean said...

I hope the Earth doesn't expand too fast and as a result it cracks. The entire ocean would go down the drain! Goodness! Let's start collecting water, just in case.

AmPowerBlog said...

With every post you prove yourself smarter then everyone else. A Ph.D. in Physics AND a Nobel Prize is nothing next to your towering intellect. You are so smart that you don't deign to debate your opponents. They are beneath you. Way beneath you, obviously, because your religion of left-wing statism transcends all truth and right. So far down that you sponsor racist hate speech at your blog. If you are so enlightened, perhaps you might in fact denounce this genuine evil. Go ahead. Make my day. Show me some "progressive" morality.

bjkeefe said...

Ah, the Wingnutty Professor has joined us once again.

Well, Donald, as far as your latest self-pity party goes, specifically your begging for my input on it, you might have a look at the comment moderation queue on your own blog. I submitted something about an hour ago.

Or did you just delete it?

bjkeefe said...

It is pretty hilarious how often the CAPTCHAs seem to resonate with the discussion, isn't it?

AmPowerBlog said...

Brendan:

I was trying to give you credit. I thought maybe you were a standup guy. Not so, I've learned.

This whole episode has revealed the moral bankruptcy of all those involved, and you in particular. You have a post attacking Jim Hoft as "Hateway Pundit," and then you excuse the hatred posted on your own blog? In fact, you allege that I sent that commenter to your blog. Leftists call that blaming the victim. But I'm not a victim. I'm standing up for what is right. And the more I've engaged you the more I've learned how sick is the stew of leftist ideology that animates you. It's more than anti-intellectualism. It's your worldview of superiority, which is completely unwarranted. You, Tintin, LGM, etc., you slander people, lampoon them, photoshop them in the most vile images imaginable ... and what? You expect folks to take it lying down? Fuck you, asshole.

When I find bigoted comments at my blog I delete them and denounce the author. That is the least you could do. All you have is your hatred, Brendan. It's been revealed to the world now. If there's any pity going 'round, it should be directed your way son.

bjkeefe said...

Well, praise the FSM: you finally found enough courage to allow my comment on your blog post to appear. Only took you what, three hours of dithering and quivering over it?

So, anyone else who wants to know my reaction to your latest bit of butthurt is welcome to click that link.

I also have to laugh at your use of "attacking." Cheese 'n' rice, is there any verb more overused by wingnuts? Especially those who spend every waking hour pounding out the most vile shit they can dream up?

Yeah, you are a victim, Donny. You love to play the victim so much you troll the Internet looking for reasons to do so. And when even that won't work, you just cold make them up. SASQUATCH ISRAEL, know what I'm sayin'?

Finally, in response to your sudden fetish for Politically Correct speech: I hate to have to be the one to break this to you, Donny, but I don't feel compelled to run my blog the way you run yours. I choose to allow comments to stand, whether I agree with them or not.

That's the great thing about each of us getting to have our own little slice of the Web, you see: we don't all have to submit to a single set of rules, laid down by a sole governing authority; i.e., statism run amok, as you yourself might put it.

AmPowerBlog said...

Non-response, Brendan.

You're a clueless namecaller and a poor imitation of a man. Your BFF Tintin has this on Megan McArdle, "Megan 'Do I Look Like A Bonobo?' McArdle." That's sweet, no doubt. Hardly an attack, right? Just more right wing noise, I'm sure. Fair play too, right? If a woman's on the web she should be ready for the cheapest mysogynist slurs. She deserved it, don't guys like you say after commiting rape? And of course, conservatives aren't supposed to protest these smears lest they be further smeared as "victims." But you have a clear conscience because ... ta da!!! You're progressive! The secular religion of peace! The rest of us better STFU and fall in line. Or, well, to the camps comrade! Hey, now that's some moral clarity! All fun and games for you folks on the left, and you never have to actually defend any position which would otherwise be considered indefensible by any normal person. In other words: Fail. But I'm glad we've had this exchange, for now I know that you are indeed one of the sickest pricks on the net and I'll keep my eyes peeled for more of your racism. I just love progressives! Up is down. Wrong is right. Racism in un-racism. And you're down with that!

bjkeefe said...

For others who are wondering what the connection is between McMegan McArdle and bonobos, THERE IS NONE. SHE DENIES IT! BECAUSE SHE IS NOT A BONOBO!!!1!

Of course, this does not completely explain why Donald Douglas is spending so much time looking for pictures of conservative women having sex with monkeys, on the Internet, but I am sure he will be back to "clarify" matters post haste.

P.S. Here is a link to my BFF Tintin's post on McMegan. You know, the one that left Donald feeling filled with frustration.

Warning: some of the creatures pictured at that link appear "swarthy." You should therefore denounce before you click. And after. Can't be too safe.

P.P.S. If that seems entirely too risky, here is another picture, guaranteed McMegan- and bonobo-free.

bjkeefe said...

More on that same McMegan McPost, from Roy Edroso.

Kevin Robbins said...

Brendan glad to see you've made a new friend. Be gentle with him. He's sensitive and easily hurt.

If he's looking for any bestiality photos it may just be to build a case for Carl Paladino who's just as non-racist as RS McCain.

As to the expanding earth, I thought I was just getting taller. Hope the oceans don't cool the core and put out the volcanoes.

bjkeefe said...

Be gentle with him. He's sensitive and easily hurt.

So I am learning. On the other hand, it's hard to resist the temptation when the gentlest of pokes produces such spectacularly disproportionate reactions. Volcanic eruptions, one might even say.

I guess I have yet to grow out of that aspect most of us have as little boys -- I like watching shit blow up.

Joe "Truth 101" Kelly said...

I busted my ass to engage Professor Douglas Brendan. Then the only time he posted a comment on my blog was to inform me I was banned from his.

We're good friends now though. I plan on visiting Don again when he knocks off that damn comment moderation. No virgins for him until then.



I'd get into this some more but you guys are always quoting or linking big time blogs or blogs I never visit. I rarely visit outside my link list. How you guys keep up with everything is impressive.

bjkeefe said...

Sorry, Ayatollah. I have no idea how to respond to any of that. Except, thanks for the last part. And thanks for stopping by.

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