[MD] Global Warming: Science or Politics?

[ian glendinning]

No formula Platt,

Beyond the numbers games, it involves recognising "chaotic" type
unpredictability and uncertainty, and "emergent" effects beyond simple
causation in complex interconnected systems.

So, for example, whilst we're calculating the value of a space mission
to intercept a meteor, evaluate it's chances of success, and the
chances of escape to an extraterrestrial biosphere if it doesn't
(school-boy maths), the success of the mission may in fact depend on
... let me think ... 20th Century cinema culture maybe ?

.... the outcome may have as much to do with 20th Century cinema
culture as science or maths.

And it would be a very strange use of the word "cause" to say the
failure of the mission was caused by the fact that Joe Crew Member
never saw the film Apollo 13 and didn't happen to have a roll of Duct
Tape in his kit bag.

"A butterfly flies through the forest rain
And turns the wind into a hurricane.
A schooboy yawns, sits back, and hits "return"
And round the world computers crash and burn.

Houtson, we have a problem.

Ian

On 2/21/07, pholden at davtv.com <pholden at davtv.com> wrote:
> Quoting ian glendinning <psybertron at gmail.com>:
>
>
> > I'm trying to get you to acknowledge the need to get to grips with
> > dealing with uncertainty.
>
> What is your formula for "dealing with uncertainty?"
>
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