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Justin Gillis reports at the NYT that in the long-running political battles over climate change, the fight about what to call the various factions has been going on for a long time with people who reject the findings of climate science dismissed as “deniers” and “disinformers" and those who accept the science attacked as “alarmists” or “warmistas". The issue has recently taken a new turn, with a public appeal that has garnered 22,000 signatures asking the news media to abandon the most frequently used term for people who question climate science, “skeptic,” and call them “climate deniers” instead. The petition began with Mark B. Boslough, a physicist in New Mexico who grew increasingly annoyed by the term over several years. The phrase is wrong, says Boslough, because “these people do not embrace the scientific method.”
Last year, Boslough wrote a public letter on the issue, "Deniers are not Skeptics." and dozens of scientists and science advocates associated with the committee quickly signed it. According to Boslough real skepticism is summed up by a quote popularized by Carl Sagan, “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” "[Senator] Inhofe’s belief that global warming is “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people” is an extraordinary claim indeed," says Boslough. "He has never been able to provide evidence for this vast alleged conspiracy. That alone should disqualify him from using the title skeptic."
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 16 2015, @02:38AM
.... so maybe he will publish his experimental methodology. And how he intends to represent a control group. And exactly which variables will he try to independently set and which ones is he looking to measure in order to discover dependency. Or is that this 'scientist' is not really sure how the scientific method works, he simply knows how "to embrace it" and has a whole lot of disjointed data sets he simply must justify the expense in assembling. "Climate Scientists": Galileo is turning in his grave.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by dcollins on Monday February 16 2015, @07:32AM
Because Galileo is famous for running controlled experiments with planets that he specially designed and treated before releasing into orbit.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 16 2015, @09:15AM
Well, maybe he did and that's why he got into trouble with the church. Maybe he designed them wrong and that's why they're so cold and so far away now. You can't know because you weren't there.
"You know, Galileo, we're not trying to tell you how to do your job. But we'd really appreciate it if maybe you could just put a verse or two - sort ones, or maybe a psalm, on the surface. You know, just to help reassure people. Now, if you're feeling open to suggestion I'd like to see 'Created by Galileo, inspired by God' on there too. No? Well, it's your decision so I'll let you think about it. Um ... you look thirsty. Let me get you something to drink."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 16 2015, @11:32AM
Justify bad behavior by pointing to bad behavior
(Score: 2) by tathra on Tuesday February 17 2015, @07:52PM
since replicating the planet is impossible, we cannot use a controlled experiment and must rely on natural or field experiments. both are perfectly valid.