Philosophers known as “virtue epistemologists” claim that the goods of the intellectual life—knowledge, wisdom, understanding, etc.—are more easily obtained by persons possessing mature traits of intellectual character, such as open-mindedness, teachability, and intellectual courage, than by persons who lack these virtues or who are marked by their opposing vices. – Jay Wood

Continue reading →

404 Comments

Posted in Ethics

Cli-Fi

Posted on December 23, 2012 by curryja | 160 comments

by Judith Curry

There is a fledgling new genre in fiction.

Continue reading →

160 Comments

Posted in Communication

The Goldilocks Principle

Posted on December 22, 2012 by curryja | 271 comments

by Judith Curry

On what we can learn from Goldilocks and The Three Bears regarding our perceptions of climate, climate science, communication and policy.

Continue reading →

271 Comments

Posted in Communication, Sociology of science

Never look a polar bear in the eye

Posted on December 21, 2012 by curryja | 172 comments

by Judith Curry

Advocates and scientists have tied the Earth’s fate to that of the polar bear. But what happens if this lumbering giant proves more resilient than the rest of us? – Zac Unger

Continue reading →

172 Comments

Posted in Climate change impacts, Communication

20th century mean global sea level rise

Posted on December 20, 2012 by curryja | 246 comments

by Judith Curry

On the acceleration of sea level rise, the Gilligan effect, and the garbage solution.

Continue reading →

246 Comments

Posted in Attribution, Data and observations

Climate sensitivity in the AR5 SOD

Posted on December 19, 2012 by curryja | 437 comments

by Judith Curry

By far the most important debate about climate change is taking place among scientists, on the issue of climate sensitivity: How much warming will a doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide actually produce? – Matt Ridley

Continue reading →

437 Comments

Posted in Sensitivity & feedbacks

Limits(?) of green energy: is the Earth f_ked?

Posted on December 17, 2012 by curryja | 575 comments

by Judith Curry

Whether the benefits of alternative energy outweigh its drawbacks depends on the policy context. – Ed Dolan

Continue reading →

575 Comments

Posted in Energy

Stratospheric uncertainty

Posted on December 9, 2012 by curryja | 495 comments

by Judith Curry

The new data call into question our understanding of observed stratospheric temperature trends and our ability to test simulations of the stratospheric response to emissions of greenhouse gases and ozone-depleting substances. – Thompson et al.

Continue reading →

495 Comments

Posted in Data and observations, Uncertainty