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Rather ironic, considering that Michael Chrichton thought Global Warming wasn't a big deal[1]: > At the end of the book, Crichton gives us an author’s message.
by yongjik 12y ago
Rather ironic, considering that Michael Chrichton thought Global Warming wasn't a big deal[1]:
> At the end of the book, Crichton gives us an author’s message. In it, he re-iterates the main points of his thesis, that there are some who go too far to drum up support (and I have some sympathy with this), and that because we don’t know everything, we actually know nothing (here, I beg to differ). He also gives us his estimate, ~0.8 C for the global warming that will occur over the next century and claims that, since models differ by 400% in their estimates, his guess is as good as theirs. This is not true. (...)
> Finally, in an appendix, Crichton uses a rather curious train of logic to compare global warming to the 19th Century eugenics movement. He argues, that since eugenics was studied in prestigious universities and supported by charitable foundations, and now, so is global warming, they must somehow be related. Presumably, the author doesn’t actually believe that foundation-supported academic research ipso facto is evil and mis-guided, but that is an impression that is left.
Kind of makes me wonder how much I can trust Crichton on anything. :)
[1] http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2004/12/michael-crichtons-state-of-confusion/ http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2004/12/michae...
- krapp 12y agoI suspect that what Michael Crichton actually objects to is when the media publishes things that contradict his personal and political biases. Obviously any paper that would do so is either entirely incompetent or outright deceitful.
- guscost 12y agoI don't see how this criticism has anything to do with his point. But if you must, and if you would like anyone else to take your criticism seriously, I suggest citing Crichton's work and addressing it directly. Here's a lecture that touches on the subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDCCvOv3qZY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDCCvOv3qZY http://www.independent.org/events/transcript.asp?id=111 http://www.independent.org/events/transcript.asp?id=111 It contains one of my favorite observations: "...most people make the assumption of linearity in a world that is largely non-linear."
- yongjik 12y agoWell, the whole point of Crichton's thesis quoted by bdhe was (paraphrasing) "You can judge how much you can trust somebody, by first observing how much you can trust them on some topic you know about." It's only fair that I get to apply his own point to himself. A fine novelist he may be, but climate expert he isn't.
- guscost 12y agoAh OK. In the quote I think the word "consistently" is significant, and I've not seen folks from the mainstream take issue with anything else he said other than the environmental skepticism stuff. Anyway, I do recommend watching the lecture.
- sukilot 12y agoHe may be no expert, but his novels come from thorough amateur research, like Neal Stephenson.