h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Yeah, but that was another part of his interview. That's him weaseling out of admitting he would institute a religious test to admit refugees and him refusing to answer the direct question of whether his plan to wipe ISIS off the Earth would include carpet bombing cities.

If there's more I'll press that button again, and maybe go and make breakfast

After further consideration, >click<.

I think I'll pass on listening to Morning Edition any longer today.

After looking through the items in this morning's programme I notice one that might be a bit more pleasing to you: http://www.npr.org/2015/12/09/459026298/talk-show-host-diane-rehm-to-retire-from-public-radio-program

Yeah... She's a good interviewer, but she is tough to listen to if you're in the least impatient. But really, I can easily overlook that, but I'm just not a fan of call-in opinion shows. I don't really care to hear the vox populi. For every caller that makes an insightful point, three to ten others just blather talking points they've heard elsewhere.

An actual scientist, studying the impacts of climate change provides an annotated transcript of the interview. Guess what? Everything Cruz said was wrong.

http://scienceblogs.com/significantfigures/index.php/2015/12/09/everything-senator-ted-cruz-said-about-climate-change-in-this-npr-interview-was-wrong/

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-town-rejects-solar-panels-amid-fears-they-suck-up-all-the-energy-from-the-sun-a6771526.html



"Jane Mann, a retired science teacher, said..."

^googol

Well, as to "Ms Mann said she had seen areas near solar panels where plants are brown and dead because they did not get enough sunlight", she's not wrong if she's referring to the shadows under the panels, but I get the idea she means in the general area and that is disturbing. Even more so is her "saying no one could tell her solar panels didn't cause cancer." Well, no one can tell her hearing the laughter of a Tickle Me Elmo doll doesn't cause cancer either.


"^googol" does this indicate an exponential amount of ?

If so, I agree. That woman likely "taught" generations of children before she retired. Considering that the town council later voted on a moratorium on all future photovoltaic farms may indicate the extent of her "teaching" over the years.

I was actually considering ^googolplex, but I thought that might be over-egging the pudding

Scientists being stubborn is hardly new, and some world-class scientists have displayed incredible intransigence in the face of overwhelming eivdence to the contrary. Sir Fred Hoyle and his steady-state theory of the universe, for instance (and the ultimate irony is that he's responsible for the term we now use to describe the universe's beginning).

But for someone who is either a scientist, or who teaches science, to say something so stupid as 'no-one can tell me solar cells don't cause cancer' is ignorant in the extreme, and that's the perfect usage of the word 'ignorant' in that she's ignoring common sense.

The worst form of ignorance is willful ignorance. The other kind can be easily fixed.

It appears the media are spreading ignorance with sloppy journalism.

This story is a good example of that. It takes a few citizen comments and conflates those to the lede of the story. It appears the main reason the city council voted against this solar farm has more to do with it not directly benefiting the town itself. They would not receive any tax revenue as the farm is outside it's direct jurisdiction. And the moratorium was approved because this town already has other solar farm projects.

Here's the local newstory

http://www.roanoke-chowannewsherald.com/2015/12/08/woodland-rejects-solar-farm/

And here is more information about the situation and region in general.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2015/12/15/north_carolina_leads_on_solar_energy_despite_backward_climate_reputation.html?wpsrc=sh_all_dt_tw_ru


But yes, there are still some ignorant people in NC.

Interesting. If you want to put that up on Twitter I'll definitely re-post it. If you don't want to, I'll go ahead and do it.

I got it from Phil Plait's (Bad Astronomy) tweet.

http://twitter.com/BadAstronomer/status/676851614850748416