Dr. Eugenie Scott on Evolution and Global Warming Denialism: How the Public is Misled

The Questions and Answers section to this talk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvZA68...

In the US, teachers have long been being pressured to eliminate the teaching of evolution or to teach "alternative views" -- meaning creationism. Recently, they also are receiving pressure either to not teach global warming, or to teach "alternative views", such as that global warming isn't actually occurring, or that it is not anthropogenic. As with the arguments used by anti-evolutionists, global warming deniers propose their views in the spirit of "fairness", or of teaching students critical thinking. The rhetoric and political techniques employed by global warming deniers have remarkable parallels to those employed by anti-evolutionists.

September 15th, 2011

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[David Castro]

why is this lecture presented in a bar?

[GlasgowSkeptics]

Glasgow Skeptics runs fortnightly public understanding talks, a precedent set when Dr Scott Campbell founded the first Skeptics in the Pub, in London, in 1999.

We think that holding events in pubs makes the events informal, fun, and easy to drop in to.

It can sometimes be tricky to find pubs with rooms big enough to hold a PZ Myers sized crowd, but we've done alright so far!

[shadesters]

does she say ni**ers at 40:13 ? I doubt it but I can't figure out what word it is...

[GlasgowSkeptics]

Had a listen, and she says "knickers in a twitch", which was probably meant to be "knickers in a twist", which is itself some British slang, meaning "to get flustered or agitated".

[volound]

i would have went to this. how the hell do i hear about these things?

[GlasgowSkeptics]

We're on Twitter (@GlasgowSkeptics) and Facebook (/GlasgowSkeptics), and regular updates are posted there!

Hope this helps. :)

[opadennis]

This is sad. I would have thought by now we would be listening and understanding what our scientists teach us and set aside the stories we know are not true. Facts should be winning over fables but unfortunately they are not.

[thebbeenn]

Ironic that the US, the country that was first to visit the moon, is nowdays the 7 feet tall retard-strong imbecile child among countries in terms of scientific literacy / awareness.

[IThinkWithMy Liver]

100% Agreed. I hate this America bashing.

[IThinkWithMy Liver]

And there are MANY MANY more (by factor of 20) climate scientists who have PROVED AGW in peer-reviewed climate journals. So, if you got 20 oncologists telling you you need to take chemotherapy now or else you're 99% likely to die, and 1 of them tells you you don't have cancer, AND WHO HAS NOT PROVED THE OTHERS WRONG, what do you think is the rational intelligent thing to do?

[Mike Pulcinella]

Why does the fact of evolution make you uncomfortable?

[TheCyrix1]

You'd better read the statistics about climate (and incidentally be less agressiv !) ; This stats show the average temperature increase by years and this phenomenon accelerate;

But this datas hurt the economic interest of USA then they must be denied!

[Pete Mangum]

Only to a dumbass is verifiable Evolution a 'fable.' And take down the Rebel Flag because Evangelical morons like you only besmirch it.

[Pete Mangum]

I took Physics, dumbass, and this has nothing to do with 'Physics.' It has to do with the incredible act of looking at the climate change graphs and other data over the last million or so years which show us headed for a cooling period. Any other snappy chirps you want to send my way?

[TheCyrix1]

Of course... Everybody knows the polar ice melts because earth is cooling...

And liquid water (like all other liquids) expand when cooling...

You 'd better have some physic lessons !

[animefan2k9]

evolution is a fable