opabinia

You've been watching "The Relic" again, haven't you?

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AARRGHH!

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pat-man-ta.livejournal.com

i love that movie!

(LOL!)

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It is not as much EPIC SCIENCE FAIL as "The Core," but it tries hard.

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There actually are people trying to fix this.

The Science & Entertainment Exchange (http://www.scienceandentertainmentexchange.org/) is a program of the National Academy of Sciences that provides entertainment industry professionals with access to top scientists and engineers to help bring the reality of cutting-edge science to creative and engaging storylines.

The Science & Entertainment Exchange director, Jennifer Ouellette was interviewed on one of the latest Skeptics Guide to the Universe (http://media.libsyn.com/media/skepticsguide/skepticast2009-07-29.mp3) podcasts.

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Excellent.

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mfree.livejournal.com

Don't forget to cock your glock when you present.

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Word.

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And flick off the safety on your revolver.

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popetom.livejournal.com

"and it's a wonder we can still get vaccines."

Jenny McCarthy is working on this.

-PT

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atalanta.livejournal.com

"People" aren't the only problem. Check out the idiots in charge:

'Senator Debbie Stabenow (D., Mich.) - recently appointed to the Senate Energy Committee - made clear that fighting the climate crisis is her top priority. "Climate change is very real," she confessed as she embraced cap and trade's massive tax increase on Michigan industry - at the same time claiming, against all the evidence, that it would not lead to an increase in manufacturing costs or energy prices. "Global warming creates volatility. I feel it when I'm flying. The storms are more volatile. We are paying the price in more hurricanes and tornadoes."'

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Are you disputing that climate change being real or claiming cap and trade is a "massive tax increase?" I'll assuming for the moment that you aren't a global warming denialist, here is an article that gives estimates for the cost of cap and trade by various organizations who have tried to read the economic tea leaves.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2009/jun/25/your-guide-cap-and-trade/

The EPA says about 20-30 cents a day for the average American. The independent Congressional Budget Office says an average of 48 cents, though the cost will vary based upon income with wealthy consumers paying up to an extra dollar a day and lower income consumers saving 11 cents a day. Even the conservative Heritage foundation only claims a cost of $3.40 a day.

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atalanta.livejournal.com

For the purposes of this comment/entry, I'm referring to the dimness of this quote:
"Global warming creates volatility. I feel it when I'm flying. The storms are more volatile."

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That global warming increase the potential energy of hurricanes is well established. That you can feel the difference comparing turbulence during normal civilian air traffic absurd, but I'm not sure it rises to the level of not vaccinating kids.

In terms of bad science, Senator Stabenow's mistake doesn't even rise to the level of the article you are quoting. The author of your article appears to be a global warming denialist who claims that the cost of cap and trade are massive.

Edited Date: 2009-08-16 10:51 pm (UTC)

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atalanta.livejournal.com

At another time I'd happily have gotten into this with you, but for now your appetite for argument is certainly greater than mine.

But - Lepido's post wasn't primarily referring to vaccination, and I was not suggesting that the dim Senator's comment was comparable in some way to anti-vax ideas. They would be hard to compare, dealing with such different topics. My intended point was that people - including people who make deeply important policy decisions - generally haven't got a clue about how to evaluate evidence.

As for "rising to the level of not vaccinating kids" I'll assume that you refer to extreme anti-vaccination, Jenny McCarthy autism-scare type stuff. But some skepticism about medical establishment recommendations for vaccination is wise. Vaccinations for rubella & polio - yes please. Vaccination at birth against Hepatitis B? Not my kid.

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To me skepticism means evaluating claims based upon the scientific consensus. Thus I reject astrology because I don't find it taught in psychology departments. As for the Hepatitis B vaccine, it is recommended by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the American College of Physicians (ACP), and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Are there any scientific or medical organizations of similar caliber that advise against Hepatitis B vaccines?

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I'd better become a priest while there's still time. That way, when we resume burning witches at the stake, I'll be on the right end of the torch.

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If you have any pull, remember that if you find any witches who look like Barbara Steele or Caroline Munro, smuggle them out to me.

I'll uh, see that they get all punished and stuff for being bad.

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seishino.livejournal.com

The entertainment industries don't think that they're educating. They start with some interesting or entertaining disaster. Then they find areas of enough doubt or confusion that they can justify this disaster in the movie. Whichever part of a given production the developers are most interested in, it's almost never about firming up the biology behind genetically mixing goat and shark stem cells to create Goatshark 2: Billy's Back! Movies reflect the intelligence and culture of the time, rather than helping it improve.

Of couse, video games have been demonized and grossly misused in movies since the early 80's. My standard of movie accuracy is more or less about tightening up the graphics on level 3.

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The entertainment industries don't think that they're educating...

They don't owe us an education, for sure, but I doubt they sincerely believe they're not molding public perceptions. I know they're out to make a buck, like everyone else. Accuracy has a limited ROI, so there's a conflict of interest.

video games have been demonized and grossly misused in movies since the early 80's

True, but I think a rudimentary understanding -- or at least a lack of gross distortion -- of Biotechnology would have a more immediate effect on the pace of progress than a deeper appreciation of GTA VII -- Whore Wars. ;)

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seishino.livejournal.com

True, but I think a rudimentary understanding -- or at least a lack of gross distortion -- of Biotechnology would have a more immediate effect on the pace of progress than a deeper appreciation of GTA VII -- Whore Wars. ;)

Some would argue that culture defines how we contextualize all other forms of humanity, including science. And in that way, the culture wars are very important. Video games are an industry dominated by 20-30 year olds. We lack our Rupert Murdoch ordering game develoeprs to indoctrinate the US in the ways of being conservative bastards. Which is not to say that the Gaming Industry is *right*, or that what we provide is necessarily *informative* either. But it is a medium which we the younger generation do control. And as such, having that medium demonized by the older, established, far more conservative industries is just another way that they can retain control over the cultural framework within which we all view the world.

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Good point. We need advances on both fronts, then!

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mangokat.livejournal.com

Seriously. I have more chance of turning into an oak tree when an acorn falls on my head than turning into prawn girl from TOTALLY DIFFERENT BIOLOGY JUICE. I know not everyone can be raised by a biologist, but I wish they would have paid attention in high school.

I also think agendas are more effective when subtly approached rather than when I'm slammed over the head in the first 5 minutes with the Trail of Tears.

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