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'An Upper Layer Of Earth's Atmosphere Has Collapsed'

Perhaps it is time science agrees again -- as it used to -- that there are things they do not understand and simply leave it at that vice try to insert a theory with grossly insufficient knowledge to make the theory reasonable.

Ken
 
i would like to hear what other sources have to say on the subject.
there are often times when the CSM makes some rather dubious statements, and i don't really have alot of confidence in their journalism.
 
Ken Stallings said:
Perhaps it is time science agrees again -- as it used to -- that there are things they do not understand and simply leave it at that vice try to insert a theory with grossly insufficient knowledge to make the theory reasonable.

Ken
Click to expand...

Sorta like 'Global Warming' :icon_lol:

Pete.
 
Ken Stallings said:
Perhaps it is time science agrees again -- as it used to -- that there are things they do not understand and simply leave it at that vice try to insert a theory with grossly insufficient knowledge to make the theory reasonable.

Ken
Click to expand...

I find the idea of throwing your hands up and saying "sorry folks, we just don't understand, that's it" rather boggling to be completely honest. What's wrong with saying "we don't understand, but we're going to work hard to find out."?

I'm eternally grateful that humanity in general seems more driven than this and everyone from scientists to explorers are always striving for answers, be it what lies over the next hill or what the fundamental processes that drive our universe are. Without that drive for knowledge we'd still be living in caves and bashing one another over the head with rocks.

Also, be wary of putting any faith in how the media reports science. They tend to have no idea what the gist of the story really is or what the research is for or even what exactly it pertains to, they have a nasty habit of spinning these "scientists say" type of stories that only cheapen the subject in general and don't report anything that even remotely resembles a fact.
 
Chicken Little was right....the sky really IS falling!

chicken_little.jpg


:)
 
Chris H said:
I find the idea of throwing your hands up and saying "sorry folks, we just don't understand, that's it" rather boggling to be completely honest. What's wrong with saying "we don't understand, but we're going to work hard to find out."?

I'm eternally grateful that humanity in general seems more driven than this and everyone from scientists to explorers are always striving for answers, be it what lies over the next hill or what the fundamental processes that drive our universe are. Without that drive for knowledge we'd still be living in caves and bashing one another over the head with rocks.

Also, be wary of putting any faith in how the media reports science. They tend to have no idea what the gist of the story really is or what the research is for or even what exactly it pertains to, they have a nasty habit of spinning these "scientists say" type of stories that only cheapen the subject in general and don't report anything that even remotely resembles a fact.
Click to expand...

I get really frustrated at the number of people I meet with post-graduate degrees who don't know what scientific method even is. I was taught that in middle school. I also meet quite a few very intelligent people who really don't know the difference between a scientific theory and the word 'theory' as used in common parlance. They have no idea as to the process. I am similarly leery as to how the media reports science; in what little discussion their is, I see a lot of confirmation bias. The various networks know through their market research who their audience is, and what they want to hear about the world. That is how they make their money.

Now, the reason this matters to me is that we have some VERY heavy scientific issues coming to fruition, that we'd BETTER get a handle on, before the next generation of political demogogues do it for us. I honestly believe that I'll see in my lifetime attempts to privatize segments of the human geome. To understand the ethical implications of that, you really need to have some idea of what a geome is.

JAMES
 
I think you mean "genome" - and it would be the modern day version of human ownership - Slavery from inception.

:running:
 
Toastmaker said:
I think you mean "genome" - and it would be the modern day version of human ownership - Slavery from inception.

:running:
Click to expand...

it would be much deeper than mere slavery. crichton did a book on that very topic. i thought the premise was much scarier than the action in the book. and in my mind, the idea of lawyers trying to write laws about things they have no real understanding of is just as scary.

tbo though, i believe there are older issues that we don't have a handle on yet that are far more dangerous. for example we still don't have a thorough understanding of filoviruses like marberg and ebola, or even the functions of some the proteins found in them. it only takes one dedicated terrorist to travel to zaire, find a way to get infected, and, while spreading the disease on airliners as he flies off to his cohorts, delivers his blood to a lab allowing them the use of the deadliest virus known to man.
 
cheezyflier said:
it only takes one dedicated terrorist to travel to zaire, find a way to get infected, and, while spreading the disease on airliners as he flies off to his cohorts, delivers his blood to a lab allowing them the use of the deadliest virus known to man.
Click to expand...

Wasn't that a Clancy novel? *Scratches head*


Oh, wait no...it was just an accident there.



Ebola or any other diseases don't strike me as the most feasible tool to cause panic and deaths all around. The medical system in industrialized countries is simply too good to prevent any epidemics of epic proportions. Diseases also fairly hard to handle and getting them to their destination is also risky.

Rather just blow something up then. No, not with a nuclear device. It's next to impossible to get your hands on one.
 
b52bob said:
2012?
Click to expand...

Hmmm. Here's another "end of the world" contingency to deal with altogether. Does anyone out there anywhere have any scientific proof that on December 21st, 2012, all of the planets in our solar system be in perfect alignment? And if so, how does one justify that the sole premise of this event marks the actual "End of Days"? :pop4:

I'm not saying that it won't happen... maybe b52bob has made a psychic connection here and that he is on to something. Maybe this "collapse" in the atmosphere is indeed a precursor of things to come...

BB686:USA-flag:
 
Eoraptor1 said:
...I honestly believe that I'll see in my lifetime attempts to privatize segments of the human ge(n)ome...
Click to expand...
James you are too pessimistic:
There are already 4 million US patents in force on human genome sequences (almost as many as all other patents put together).

Having basic knowledge in private hands can skew the outcomes. For example, most gene therapy products are being designed to be administered repeatedly rather than as one-time cures (This is clearly better for business). The pharm companies can do this because they own the rights to the basic science. Anybody coming up with a one-time cure will hit a legal wall.

Climate Science is subject to similar agendas... the only real defence is to back public spending on basic science to prevent it being highjacked.
 
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