> The 'consensus' on anthropic global warming was
> achieved through
> political fiat, most of the scientists signing the
> Kyoto declaration,
> not being experts in climate.
>
> Science is not decided by consensus. As Einstein
> said when a book was
> published 'Fifty Authors Refute Relativity', he
> said 'Why fifty, it
> ought to only take one?'
Of course, Einstein was pointing out that if it was indeed a "refutation," it would take only person to make it, whereupon it would recognized as such by significant numbers of people in the scientific community. It is the quality of the evidence and argument which is determinative, and the consensus flows from that evidence and argument. When people argue that the fact that impoverished African nations do not do large numbers of HIV identification tests means that HIV is unimportant, they are not going to convince anyone.
Leo Casey United Federation of Teachers 260 Park Avenue South New York, New York 10010-7272 (212-598-6869)
Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never has, and it never will. If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet deprecate agitation are men who want crops without plowing the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its waters. -- Frederick Douglass --
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