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> The science is settled. Well, we'll see. There are predictions of global devastation within the next decade. > But physics doesn't care if you want it to be

> The science is settled. Well, we'll see. There are predictions of global devastation within the next decade. > But physics doesn't care if you want it to be true or not. It's not about that. Rather it's about the law of slow-moving disasters. For example, what if I told you there was a train coming down the tracks that is about to flatten you. Would you be scared? What if I told you it was coming at you at 1cm/year. Would you be scared then? This is the law of slow-moving disasters. We tend not to notice them in practice. If the weather changes year to year on the time-scale of decades or centuries, the rate of change is so low that buildings will simply be replaced over time. In extreme cases, populations will migrate. Ancient humans have lived in climates both much warmer, and much cooler than those we currently experience. > trust me, I would also love if it turned out to be wrong I think I trust you. You seem like a stand-up guy, but understand that there is a huge amount of power to be distilled out of this. So there are a great number of people who are heavily incentivised to look the other way if there are any unanswered questions. For a parallel example, see the refusal to acknowledge side effects including mycardiatus from COVID vaccinations.

wolverine876 4y ago
> Well, we'll see. There are predictions of global devastation within the next decade. We've already 'seen'. The science is, of course, based on an enormous amount of empirical evidence. We can always just say, 'we'll see what happens next', but it's a bizarre argument - on that basis you never act.
_fizz_buzz_ 4y ago
> So there are a great number of people who are heavily incentivised to look the other way if there are any unanswered questions. I never really got this argument: There are even more powerful and even richer people that have incentives that nothing changes: ExxonMobile, Koch Industries, BP, Volkswagen, BMW, GM, Russia, Saudi Arabia, etc.

wolverine876 4y ago

> Well, we'll see. There are predictions of global devastation within the next decade. We've already 'seen'. The science is, of course, based on an enormous amount of empirical evidence. We can always just say, 'we'll see what happens next', but it's a bizarre argument - on that basis you never act.

_fizz_buzz_ 4y ago

> So there are a great number of people who are heavily incentivised to look the other way if there are any unanswered questions. I never really got this argument: There are even more powerful and even richer people that have incentives that nothing changes: ExxonMobile, Koch Industries, BP, Volkswagen, BMW, GM, Russia, Saudi Arabia, etc.