The Weather Thread

[Letters]

You are presenting them as evidence, therefore you must see them as proof of climate change. Otherwise, why would they be evidence in your eyes?

But you also said they weren’t proof of anything.

Sigh. Fine. OK, I wasn't very clear. Let me try again.

Some people say things like "Global warming? Ha! It's May and we've all got coats on! So much for global warming!"
(Some American bloke who came to preach at our church literally did say that, pretty much verbatim)
They act like they've made a good point and totally disproved all this global warming nonsense. They haven't. For several reasons.

1) Cold snaps in Spring or warm spells in Autumn aren't "proof" of anything. You need to look at long term trends, not one off events. It's like using the NLD result as "proof" that we are better than Spurs this season. One could argue that it's evidence that we are - you would expect us to beat them if we're better than them - but it is just a one off result. We'll see over 38 games who comes out on top.

2) Strictly speaking, scientific ideas can't be proven. Only mathematical theorems can. In science you make a hypothesis and then test it. As more evidence is gathered the likelihood of the hypothesis being true becomes higher, but it's never proven in the strictest sense. So if my hypothesis is "the world is getting warmer and will continue to and it's caused by human activity" then warm weekends in October like this one could be part of the evidence for that but it's not proof. And even if the world does continue to get warmer (it certainly has in my lifetime), it's impossible to prove conclusively that it's human activity causing it although there does seem to be a lot of evidence pointing that way right now.

3) Global Warming is an effect of Climate Change but it's not the only one. Climate Change also means more extreme weather events generally which can mean colder winters. So cold snaps aren't evidence against Climate Change, they're evidence for it.

[Niall_Quinn]

Oh this is fucking perfect.

The guy who lectures on "the science" and bum covid data is now giving a general lesson in grammar, context and application.

Just give him the Internet points and save everyone the pain.

[LDG]

Sigh. Fine. OK, I wasn't very clear. Let me try again.

Some people say things like "Global warming? Ha! It's May and we've all got coats on! So much for global warming!"
(Some American bloke who came to preach at our church literally did say that, pretty much verbatim)
They act like they've made a good point and totally disproved all this global warming nonsense. They haven't. For several reasons.

1) Cold snaps in Spring or warm spells in Autumn aren't "proof" of anything. You need to look at long term trends, not one off events. It's like using the NLD result as "proof" that we are better than Spurs this season. One could argue that it's evidence that we are - you would expect us to beat them if we're better than them - but it is just a one off result. We'll see over 38 games who comes out on top.

2) Strictly speaking, scientific ideas can't be proven. Only mathematical theorems can. In science you make a hypothesis and then test it. As more evidence is gathered the likelihood of the hypothesis being true becomes higher, but it's never proven in the strictest sense. So if my hypothesis is "the world is getting warmer and will continue to and it's caused by human activity" then warm weekends in October like this one could be part of the evidence for that but it's not proof. And even if the world does continue to get warmer (it certainly has in my lifetime), it's impossible to prove conclusively that it's human activity causing it although there does seem to be a lot of evidence pointing that way right now.

3) Global Warming is an effect of Climate Change but it's not the only one. Climate Change also means more extreme weather events generally which can mean colder winters. So cold snaps aren't evidence against Climate Change, they're evidence for it.

I didn’t just get off the last boat dude.

I was joshing with you, but as you’re taking this so seriously (sanctimoniously might be a better adjective), and the context in which you are arguing, makes your original post even more daft.

If you want to poke fun at somebody like your twitter snip directly after NQ’s lol post, then accept you’ll be called out. You may not have met more than a couple of people more intelligent than you in your lifetime, but that may be because you don’t get out much, or it could just be blind arrogance.

[Letters]

If you want to poke fun at somebody like your twitter snip directly after NQ’s lol post, then accept you’ll be called out.

I do accept that. But if the "calling out" is based on a misunderstanding then I think it's fair enough of me to clarify

You may not have met more than a couple of people more intelligent than you in your lifetime, but that may be because you don’t get out much, or it could just be blind arrogance.

I don't get out much . But I've met loads of people more intelligent than me.
In the post you're referring to I was talking about people who are off the charts more intelligent. There are some people who are on a completely different level to the rest of us but they are rare in my experience. As I said, I've met 2
NQ often claims he can't explain things to me because "lol, ur thick" (I'm slightly paraphrasing). I'm bright enough so I think that's unlikely, unless he is one of those off the charts people. From his posts, I don't think so.

[Niall_Quinn]

I do accept that. But if the "calling out" is based on a misunderstanding then I think it's fair enough of me to clarify



I don't get out much . But I've met loads of people more intelligent than me.
In the post you're referring to I was talking about people who are off the charts more intelligent. There are some people who are on a completely different level to the rest of us but they are rare in my experience. As I said, I've met 2
NQ often claims he can't explain things to me because "lol, ur thick" (I'm slightly paraphrasing). I'm bright enough so I think that's unlikely, unless he is one of those off the charts people. From his posts, I don't think so.

Don't think I ever once called you thick. I have often said you are incapable of comprehending certain concepts and principles, which is almost certainly true given your own words.

[Letters]

Ugh. What a miserable day

[Letters]

Not far from us



I didn't see it happen but I heard it go.

[Letters]

Was wearing shorts on Saturday.
Now it's snowing.
Lousy Smarch weather

[Ollie the Optimist]

I’ve just moved to Essex. Given the weather last week, hadn’t quite factored in having to defrost the car into the commute time

[Letters]

Have switched from moaning it's too cold to moaning it's too hot.