seems like to me. which is why "i don't know" might in fact be a cop-out, here, and jillette would have been much more compelling if he had faced up to that part of this question, which he considers here apparently from a purely theoretical point of view.
ps -- wondering where he would find his empirical evidence for the non-existence of god. is it ok to be skeptical of the stock skeptic's answer? from penn's POV, i mean.
j
On Thu, Jul 3, 2008 at 1:16 PM, Dennis Claxton <ddclaxton at earthlink.net> wrote:
> <
> http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-oe-jillette3-2008jul03,0,1845593.story
> >
> http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-oe-jillette3-2008jul03,0,1845593.story
> From the Los Angeles Times
>
> Climate change? Once more, 'I don't know'
>
> Being honest about not knowing enough of the science to make a judgment
> isn't the same as an outright denial.
>
> By Penn Jillette
>
> July 3, 2008
>
> My partner, Teller, and I are professional skeptics. We do magic tricks in
> our live show in Las Vegas, and we have a passion for trying to use what
> we've learned about fooling people to possibly get a little closer to the
> truth. Our series on Showtime tries to question everything -- even things we
> hold dear.
>
> James Randi is our inspiration, our hero, our mentor and our friend. Randi
> taught us to use our fake magic powers for good. Psychics use tricks to lie
> to people; Randi uses tricks to tell the truth. Every year, in Vegas, the
> James Randi Educational Foundation gathers together for a conference as many
> like-thinking participants as you can get from people who question whenever
> people think alike. There are smart, famous and groovy speakers such as
> Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Trey Parker and Matt Stone. There's
> lots of real science stuff with real scientists questioning things that a
> lot of people take for granted, like ESP, UFOs, faith healing and
> creationism. It's a party.
>
> Teller and I are always honored to be invited. We don't wear our usual
> matching gray suits, and Teller doesn't stay in his silent character. Teller
> chats up a storm. It's not a gig; it's hanging out with friends. During our
> loose Q&A period this year, someone asked us about global warming, or
> climate change, or however they're branding it now. Teller and I were both
> silent on stage for a bit too long, and then I said I didn't know.
>
> I elaborated on "I don't know" quite a bit. I said that Al Gore was so
> annoying (that's scientifically provable, right?) that I really wanted to
> doubt anything he was hyping, but I just didn't know. I also emphasized that
> really smart friends, who knew a lot more than me, were convinced of global
> warming. I ended my long-winded rambling (I most often have a silent
> partner) very clearly with "I don't know." I did that because ... I don't
> know. Teller chimed in with something about Gore's selling of "indulgences"
> being BS, and then said he didn't know either. Penn & Teller don't know jack
> about global warming ... next question.
>
> The next day, I heard that one of the non-famous, non-groovy, non-scientist
> speakers had used me as an example of someone who let his emotions make him
> believe things that are wrong. OK. People who aren't used to public speaking
> get excited and go off half-cocked. I'm used to public speaking and I go off
> half-cocked. I live half-cocked. Cut her some slack.
>
> Later, I was asked about a Newsweek blog she wrote. Reading it bugged me
> more than hearing about it. She ends with: "But here was Penn, a great
> friend to the skeptic community, basically saying, 'Don't bother me with
> scientific evidence, I'm going to make up my mind about global warming based
> on my disdain for Al Gore.' ... Which just goes to show, not even the most
> hard-nosed empiricists and skeptics are immune from the power of emotion to
> make us believe stupid things."
>
> Is there no ignorance allowed on this one subject? I took my children to
> see the film "Wall-E." This wonderful family entertainment opens with the
> given that mankind destroyed Earth. You can't turn on the TV without seeing
> someone hating ourselves for what we've done to the planet and preaching the
> end of the world. Maybe they're right, but is there no room for "maybe"?
> There's a lot of evidence, but global warming encompasses a lot of
> complicated points: Is it happening? Did we cause it? Is it bad? Can we fix
> it? Is government-forced conservation the only way to fix it?
>
> To be fair (and it's always important to be fair when one is being
> mean-spirited, sanctimonious and self-righteous), "I don't know" can be a
> very bad answer when it is disingenuous. You can't answer "I don't know if
> that happened" about the Holocaust.
>
> But the climate of the whole world is more complicated. I'm not a
> scientist, and I haven't spent my life studying weather. I'm trying to learn
> what I can, and while I'm working on it, isn't it OK to say "I don't know"?
>
> I mean, at least in front of a bunch of friendly skeptics?
>
> Penn Jillette is the louder, bigger half of the magic/comedy team of Penn &
> Teller.
> ___________________________________
> http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
>