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16 thoughts on “Open Soapbox Friday”
The American Physical Society, an organization representing nearly 50,000 physicists, has reversed its stance on climate change and is now proclaiming that many of its members disbelieve in human-induced global warming. The APS is also sponsoring public debate on the validity of global warming science. The leadership of the society had previously called the evidence for global warming “incontrovertible.”
Suck it, AlGore.
And if you go to the website of the American Physical Society, you will see this:
APS Position Remains Unchanged
The American Physical Society reaffirms the following position on climate change, adopted by its governing body, the APS Council, on November 18, 2007:
“Emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities are changing the atmosphere in ways that affect the Earth’s climate.”
An article at odds with this statement recently appeared in an online newsletter of the APS Forum on Physics and Society, one of 39 units of APS. The header of this newsletter carries the statement that “Opinions expressed are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the APS or of the Forum.” This newsletter is not a journal of the APS and it is not peer reviewed.
General Motors Corp. researchers are working on a windshield that combines lasers, infrared sensors and a camera to take what’s happening on the road and enhance it, so aging drivers with vision problems are able to see a little more clearly.
Does anyone else see this as counterproductive to making the streets safer? First people are falling asleep behind the wheel of a hybrid because they are so quiet. How many will snooze or be entranced by a laser that follows the road?
GM’s new windshield won’t improve their vision, but it will make objects stand out that could otherwise go unnoticed by an aged eye. <—You mean like another car!! Or a child! This is a bad idea…
The state’s AC is broken. Hope they find the money to fix it soon.
/Sarcasm.
K: I see, so they’re still headfirst in the kool aid vat.
I would guess that someone out there is working on using GPS navigation to drive cars for us. Even I can wrap my mind around the concept and I enthusiastically dropped physics my junior year in high school. Ditto maths.
But it doesn’t seem all that far in the future, IMHO, that there will be enough gps towers or some kind of reference points for gps that cars with gps systems, and some proximity sensors and automatic braking systems that lots of cars already have so you don’t back into stuff.
I imagine it would start in small cities where you could convert entire driving grids to automatic cars, just punch in your address and go.
And you could start with just a large downtown area, and expand easily enough, right?
And yes, it would probably cost tons of money – but let’s not think economics for a bit, my friends, just imagine the possibilities for some fun.
And AlGore can still suck it. 😉
Vonster: Why does Gore use so much energy at his personal resident if human-induced global warming is such a calamity waiting to happen? Oh, I forgot to follow the money trail for being an expert.
Physicists Vonster? Environmental studies isn’t exactly the stuff of expertise for Physicists. And yeah its seems kinda silly for Physicists to comment on Global Warming.
Anyone notice that GM was pulling health care from its Union retirees as part of its downsizing? Union retirees in the Peoria area ought to be planning ahead.
Global warming and drinking koolaid.
The American Physical Society is not alone in its position on global warming.
To name a few: American Chemical Society
Royal Meteorological Society, American Meteorological Society, World Meteorological Organization; Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, American Statistical Association, Geological Society of America, European Science Foundation, Federation of American Scientists share the same position.
Vonster? Vonster? * crickets chirping *
GM can go belly up because of the years of union abuse and intimidations. So retirees and current workers will have nothing and they can thank the union bosses. US cannot bail out GM. Private equity can save them but it will not be as they are used to so maybe being high school drop out making 80K in pay and benefit dont seem so bad when you will have to accept 40K in pay and benefit to keep you job.
Absolutely right, hazani. That evil, nasty union made GM decide to keep churning out cars that were big and ugly. The UAW made GM take a pass on technological advances, like the electric automobile. Those greedy hourly workers made GM overpay their top executives year after year, regardless of whether they actually earned it or not. Greedy bastards … wanting a decent, living wage for their families. The nerve! They should have been thankful for whatever their bosses decided to pay them, if anything. At least they had a job.
The American Physical Society, an organization representing nearly 50,000 physicists, has reversed its stance on climate change and is now proclaiming that many of its members disbelieve in human-induced global warming. The APS is also sponsoring public debate on the validity of global warming science. The leadership of the society had previously called the evidence for global warming “incontrovertible.”
Suck it, AlGore.
And if you go to the website of the American Physical Society, you will see this:
APS Position Remains Unchanged
The American Physical Society reaffirms the following position on climate change, adopted by its governing body, the APS Council, on November 18, 2007:
“Emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities are changing the atmosphere in ways that affect the Earth’s climate.”
An article at odds with this statement recently appeared in an online newsletter of the APS Forum on Physics and Society, one of 39 units of APS. The header of this newsletter carries the statement that “Opinions expressed are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the APS or of the Forum.” This newsletter is not a journal of the APS and it is not peer reviewed.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/07/18/windshields.older.drivers.ap/index.html?eref=rss_tech
General Motors Corp. researchers are working on a windshield that combines lasers, infrared sensors and a camera to take what’s happening on the road and enhance it, so aging drivers with vision problems are able to see a little more clearly.
Does anyone else see this as counterproductive to making the streets safer? First people are falling asleep behind the wheel of a hybrid because they are so quiet. How many will snooze or be entranced by a laser that follows the road?
GM’s new windshield won’t improve their vision, but it will make objects stand out that could otherwise go unnoticed by an aged eye. <—You mean like another car!! Or a child! This is a bad idea…
The state’s AC is broken. Hope they find the money to fix it soon.
/Sarcasm.
K: I see, so they’re still headfirst in the kool aid vat.
I would guess that someone out there is working on using GPS navigation to drive cars for us. Even I can wrap my mind around the concept and I enthusiastically dropped physics my junior year in high school. Ditto maths.
But it doesn’t seem all that far in the future, IMHO, that there will be enough gps towers or some kind of reference points for gps that cars with gps systems, and some proximity sensors and automatic braking systems that lots of cars already have so you don’t back into stuff.
I imagine it would start in small cities where you could convert entire driving grids to automatic cars, just punch in your address and go.
And you could start with just a large downtown area, and expand easily enough, right?
And yes, it would probably cost tons of money – but let’s not think economics for a bit, my friends, just imagine the possibilities for some fun.
And AlGore can still suck it. 😉
Vonster: Why does Gore use so much energy at his personal resident if human-induced global warming is such a calamity waiting to happen? Oh, I forgot to follow the money trail for being an expert.
Physicists Vonster? Environmental studies isn’t exactly the stuff of expertise for Physicists. And yeah its seems kinda silly for Physicists to comment on Global Warming.
Anyone notice that GM was pulling health care from its Union retirees as part of its downsizing? Union retirees in the Peoria area ought to be planning ahead.
Global warming and drinking koolaid.
The American Physical Society is not alone in its position on global warming.
To name a few: American Chemical Society
Royal Meteorological Society, American Meteorological Society, World Meteorological Organization; Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, American Statistical Association, Geological Society of America, European Science Foundation, Federation of American Scientists share the same position.
Vonster? Vonster? * crickets chirping *
GM can go belly up because of the years of union abuse and intimidations. So retirees and current workers will have nothing and they can thank the union bosses. US cannot bail out GM. Private equity can save them but it will not be as they are used to so maybe being high school drop out making 80K in pay and benefit dont seem so bad when you will have to accept 40K in pay and benefit to keep you job.
Absolutely right, hazani. That evil, nasty union made GM decide to keep churning out cars that were big and ugly. The UAW made GM take a pass on technological advances, like the electric automobile. Those greedy hourly workers made GM overpay their top executives year after year, regardless of whether they actually earned it or not. Greedy bastards … wanting a decent, living wage for their families. The nerve! They should have been thankful for whatever their bosses decided to pay them, if anything. At least they had a job.
BTW: What do YOU do for a living?
Burn! Nice job Billy.