Aliens Cause Global Warming

Rich Stern · Mar 20, 2007

Bill V. and TJR, this one's for you.

This is a speech by Michael Crichton, delivered to a CalTech audience a few years ago. Goes to the very heart of our discussion of consensus, common sense, science, and how our views on such things are shaped.

TomT · Mar 21, 2007

I have often suspected that.

Thomas Rogers · Mar 21, 2007

You see Rich, I guess that's were you and I missed the point. You have been talking about global warming, and I have simply been talking about reducing emissions and pollution when you can, if you can.

Later

Rich Stern · Mar 21, 2007

Actually, the speech is about how "bad science" gained credibility in recent decades due to very specific topics and events, and how the scientists involved, along with politicians and media, shaped the public perception on the basis of that bad science.

I understand you are talking about reducing emissions and pollution.

Read the part of the speech where he discusses what happened with the EPA and second hand smoke, and the later (false) attribution of breast cancer to that problem. It is a good analogy for your position.

P.S. Don't take any of this personally. It's a discussion. I appreciate the debate, and none of my comments are meant as a personal attack. Even if I describe you as "brainwashed," it's my characterization of how I think you arrived at a particural perception, not of you as a person.

shawn stonbraker 2 · Mar 21, 2007

He actually wrote a Fiction story on it. Don't think there were any aliens in it, but it was an interesting read since he uses alot of scientific data to back up the story. The book is "State of Fear".