What'sUpWithThatWatts, et al.: Chico State Talk

Monday, October 31, 2011

Watts Up With That "Ben Santer" discussion thread?

{Saturday, November 5th.}

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The following is a selection of reader comments from over at “What’s Up With That.com” discussion thread regarding a talk given by Dr. Ben Santer to Anthony Watts and friends at Chico State University, California October 21, 2011.

"Dr. Ben Santer speaks on climate modeling, and everything else"

I copied the comments (unaltered other than formatting adjustments) into this WUWTW.blogspot blog in order to share the comments and ask the questions that are impossible to present over at WUWT.

Ben Santer's Chico State Question and Answer - unauthorized transcript

{posted 11/4/11}
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{I tried posting the following message to Mr. Watts at his Watts Up With That ~ Ben Santer discussion thread, but it appears I have been blackballed, banned. . . ignored as all messengers bearing inconvenient information or questions. Shame on you Mr. Watts for fostering willful ignor-ance toward the full spectrum of available knowledge !}

Anthony Watts,
I do appreciate your posting Ben Santer’s talk at Chico State University which I understand was given at your behest. Though I've got to say, in light of spending much time transcribing highlights from the main talk and Ben Santer's full answers I'm doubly confounded by the contempt both in your own initial post, but more particularly, the comments of your fan base in the discussion thread following the above talk.

I thought his talk along with the question and answer session provide a powerful learning tool for those who want to understand the AGW reality with some better clarity. But it's like an absolutist cold shoulder is all he got from you folks. Watts up with that? I thought a better understanding of what's going on in our biosphere was the top priority? Why does it seem like your crowd is all about distorting or ignoring relevant information?
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How long will the charade of applying engineering rules to understanding Natural Sciences continue?

How long will the terror of economic change drive your frivolous, crazy making attacks on the integrity of the global climatological scientific community?

Mr. Watts' when will you honestly and skeptically look at what's driving your own selective reading of the full spectrum of information available? And of course, what about the world we are leaving our descendants?

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In the interest of the dialogue here's my unauthorized transcription of Dr. Ben Santer's question and answer session.

RECOMMENDED WEBSITES

{edited 12/11/2014}

I know there are too many typos, what can I say, eyes aren't what they were, I get rushed, and always did have a thing with transposing…{well, I also hated high school "english" classes... bad call that one.}. Doing the best I can with what I got. Embarrassing though it is, it's better than doing nothing. Besides, it's the issues and reasoning that we should be worrying about.

Though I'm in my own little world here, I'm also constantly learning and evolving and do get occasional feedback and when I reread stuff and find errors or omissions or garbage, I fix it. If it's major I'll acknowledge it with an 'edited' note, minor stuff I don't bother.

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I hardly keep track of Anthony's latest antics (besides, with Sou on the job why bother - can't beat her insights). It's just me over here and I have more important things to do with my precious hours - still now that Anthony's luster has been wearing thin he's put his energy into discovering and honing new fresh faces to carry on the public show of the Republican/Libertarian strategic attack on science.

He seems to have transitioned into a ring-leader, perhaps mentor/coach would be better, producer? At least that's how Mr. Steele and his antics of the past year has gotten me to think about it. So in that regard this blog remains about WUWT's brand of thinking and logic and my struggle to understand the anatomy of the fraud they've perpetrated against mankind. {December 2014}

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ok, now some recommended websites:

This blog was started in April 2013 and is written by an actual scientist so it has a refreshingly serious objective air to it, plus he does a good clear job of explaining complex issues.

And Then There's Physics.
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Sou has some of the best {readability and detailed} examinations of Watt's antics I've seen - and she does have fun with certain characters.

She continues be the best at keeping up with Mr. Watts' and pals and their many deceptions.

The recent dirty tricks and attacks she is enduring are acknowledgment of how good she is at it.

http://blog.hotwhopper.com

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Ben has been documenting Anthony's misdeeds longer than the rest of us.

http://wottsupwiththat.com

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Tamino, an acknowledged statistical/mathematical expert of the highest order, at Open Mind also does an excellent job of holding Anthony’s feet to the fire with clearly explained facts and math. Check it out:
http://tamino.wordpress.com
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And of course, there is the excellent, most up to date internet depository of climate studies and information for the non-expert public.

http://SkepticalScience.com

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Then there's RealClimate.org the scientist's commentary site. Run by working climate scientists intended to help the interested public and journalists sort through the complexities of the climatology. They provide "quick response to developing stories and provide the context" that is too often missing from public media's depiction. {But, you better be serious and have some real science education/understanding under your belt if you want to keep up.}

http://realclimate.org

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I remember back in da day, good websites/blogs were few and far between. But over the past years that's been changing to the point that it's impossible to keep up with them all. Here's an incomplete, and long overdue addition to my above list: