Let's talk Science

[1000steps]

Where y'all stand on climate change?

"Stance" isn't an issue. We know exactly what's happening.

I think it is time to make this a philosophical debate.

We know exactly what is happening, to tolerances that render the data relevant, a priori

A posteriori, we don't know fudge.

I ascribe rather deeply to a Lovelockian view of planetary science. Not the frilly bullshyte interpretations of a brilliant man's work, but the serious cybernetics behind his theories.

Toss Gaia aside. This planet is not a hippy dippy nature mama; in the context of hundreds of thousands of years or more, this planet is an unforgiving bitch.

Climate is not necessarily the issue here. What if your own bed decided it wanted to eat you alive?

[1000steps]

"We have since defined Gaia as a complex entity involving the Earth's biosphere, atmosphere, oceans, and soil; the totality constituting a feedback or cybernetic system which seeks an optimal physical and chemical environment for life on this planet." - Dr. James Lovelock

Note the word 'life", not human life. When biologists use the word "life", they are referring to the totality of life, most of which is single-celled and simple multi-celled organisms. In a closed system of increasing competition over decreasing resources, what if human life is not the priority?

[1000steps]

And sadly, with our current understanding of physics, interstellar space travel is not difficult - it's impossible. Barring some scientific breakthrough of a magnitude humans have never achieved in our history - even factoring the discovery of fire - manned interplanetary space travel is still farfetched. The nearest planets take half a lifetime to reach, and they are desolate, lifeless orbs. Short of figuring out wormholes a la Interstellar, we are living...in our own doo doo.

[1000steps]

Million-year old blue ice, Allan Hills, Antarctica - the oldest glacial ice is elevated as the ice cap pushes against mountains, like coastal upwellings

[fredo]

And sadly, with our current understanding of physics, interstellar space travel is not difficult - it's impossible. Barring some scientific breakthrough of a magnitude humans have never achieved in our history - even factoring the discovery of fire - manned interplanetary space travel is still farfetched. The nearest planets take half a lifetime to reach, and they are desolate, lifeless orbs. Short of figuring out wormholes a la Interstellar, we are living...in our own doo doo.

Yeah, but...our scientific growth has been pretty much exponential over the last 2 centuries. Relative to the age of the species we've made breakthroughs of magnitudes greater than everything before fairly often (no thanks to you, Mississippi and the Catholic Church!)

Also, Mars is less than a year away.

[1000steps]

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-33209548

Also, Mars is less than a year away.

Good plan. Isn't the climate on Mars like St. Tropez, but with a lot less air?

[fredo]

Science-ish!

Speaking of: I'm watching two creationists on TV pushing intelligent design AKA: projecting. Lillz.

[foulmouthedruffian]

Washington state's first dinosaur!
"The finding makes Washington the 37th U.S. state known to have dinosaur fossils, the researchers said."
http://www.livescience.com/50909-dinosa ... ropod.html

[foulmouthedruffian]

Chicken Embryos With Dinosaur Snouts Created in Lab
http://www.livescience.com/50802-chicke ... eated.html

:O

[fredo]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/science/69821500 ... bservation

Pluto and the occult!(utation)

[samuraiwriter]

geologists & climate science enthusiasts: https://skepticalscience.com/print.php?n=2131

Pfft. That was just more bunko "science" financed by the liberal media trying to get us to support Fartbongo's socialist agenda to replace bootstrappy American energy workers with Chinese-made solar panels. Obviously. And if the water levels are rising I think we all know the real reason -- heard of Noah much?

Benghazi.

[foulmouthedruffian]

New ceratopsian discovered!

http://www.livescience.com/51484-wendic ... osaur.html

[foulmouthedruffian]

Next best thing to a dinosaur park. Cenozoic Park!

http://www.livescience.com/51424-woolly ... enced.html

[foulmouthedruffian]

New Horizons spacecraft completed history's first Pluto flyby!
http://www.livescience.com/51529-pluto- ... esday.html

Photos of Pluto!
http://www.space.com/11431-photos-pluto ... lanet.html

[fredo]

I think that deserves a few photos posted:


Charon on the left.