In the WSJ: No Need to Panic About Global Warming

Sixteen scientists write in the WSJ:

A candidate for public office in any contemporary democracy may have to consider what, if anything, to do about “global warming.” Candidates should understand that the oft-repeated claim that nearly all scientists demand that something dramatic be done to stop global warming is not true. In fact, a large and growing number of distinguished scientists and engineers do not agree that drastic actions on global warming are needed.

It’s a fascinating article and I particularly enjoyed being reminded of the words of Nobel Prize-winning physicist Ivar Giaever on his resignation from the APS, “In the APS it is OK to discuss whether the mass of the proton changes over time and how a multi-universe behaves, but the evidence of global warming is incontrovertible?”

No doubt the article will be hysterically contested.

“Sifting climate facts from speculation” – New Scientist

Via theĀ New Scientist:

IT WAS a dramatic declaration: glaciers across much of the Himalayas may be gone by 2035. When New Scientist heard this comment from a leading Indian glaciologist, we reported it. That was in 1999. The claim later appeared in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s most recent report – and it turns out that our article is the primary published source.

The science deserves to be taken more seriously than this.

Shocking Science 2008 | The smell of fear

Having exposed volunteers to the whiff of sweat from skydivers, researchers concluded that humans can smell fear

via Shocking Science 2008 | Science | guardian.co.uk .

“The effect of resonance on rice” [sic]

An interesting demonstration of standing waves. The Digg poster suggests the effect is on the rice, but I rather think the waves are in the plywood over the speaker and the rice just illustrates the nodes.

read more | digg story