State of Fear by Michael Crichton

Post #187,931 by andread 12/23/04 9:39:02 AM Reply	State of Fear by Michael Crichton Global warming is pseudo-science. Environmental groups are fronts for terrorists. Insurgents are cannibals. These are the basic messages in this latest novel from the big best-selling author Rather than just be fictional, he seeds the story with all sorts of footnotes supporting the claim of one of his major characters that global warming doesn't exist. He also trashes any claims of abrupt climate change or extreme weather. He insists in an afterword that scientific journals have taken unethical editorial stances on these issues and that researchers are forced to change their texts in order to be published He compares today's environmentalists with prominent eugenicists of the early 20th century like Teddy Roosevelt and George Bernard Shaw and believes that their invalid arguments led directly to Hitler Meanwhile, he never mentions pollution, build-up of toxins in living creatures caused by industry or a number of other seemingly relevant issues Sort of the Fox News of novels A Play I Some Music w/ Papa Andy Saturday 8 PM - 11 PM ET All Night Rewind 11 PM - 5 PM Reggae, African and Caribbean Music [link\|http://wxxe.org\|Tune In]
Post #188,053 by Ashton 12/23/04 10:56:08 PM Reply	Best to recall: he was 'trained' as a Doctor 'Science' is not a big part of doctoring. (Ask yours to explain what F=MA might be about). He's also been rich for a long time, ever since the $returns from Andromeda Strain ended his fledgling sortie towards --> $medicine. (Not much incentive to go back to school, I'd suppose) Probably good that he doesn't wear a white coat. moi
Post #188,070 by ben_tilly 12/24/04 2:23:39 AM Reply	But... In the last couple of years I've come to believe that the case for global warming is not nearly as open and shut as it is portrayed in the media or the scientific press. I'm not saying that it is wrong, merely that there is more room for legitimate disagreement than I knew. Cheers, Ben I have come to believe that idealism without discipline is a quick road to disaster, while discipline without idealism is pointless. -- Aaron Ward (my brother)
Post #188,073 by Ashton 12/24/04 4:49:31 AM Reply	Not advocating a resolution to that Question- And no question that general language murder habits are manifest here, in spades. Merely impeaching Crichton as 'scientist', or at least any automatic assumption that "he ought to possess insight" on the topic. Haven't read an essay from him though, so I don't know the basis for his opinion; if however, his is a conviction, already - well, then - - IMO this Question is of the class which is most apt to be spun, for all obvious reasons of Next-quarter mindsets and for every principle of the Capitalist religion (culminating of course - where one's other religion awaits Gawd Soon and ridicules any concern for one's mere planetary abode). Since we must weigh probabilities VS barely-acceptable --> assuredly fatal consequences: we'd need some wisdom to achieve sanity throughout a series of decisions. We are probably more inept at such a matter than in learning much simpler things, from history. Not looking good re this one, is it? Ashton
Post #188,075 by pwhysall 12/24/04 5:35:45 AM Reply	Hasn't written a good book since Terminal Man, imho Andromeda Strain was alright; after that it's all downhill toward cack like Jurassic Park. Peter [link\|http://www.ubuntulinux.org\|Ubuntu Linux] [link\|http://www.kuro5hin.org\|There is no K5 Cabal] [link\|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org\|Home] Use P2P for legitimate purposes!

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