Comments on: new scientist http://blog.bluemonki.net/2007/05/17/new-scientist/ A smattering of news from the world of Blue Monki fortified with vitamins and iron, suitable for vegetarians, may contain traces of nuts. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:54:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Simon http://blog.bluemonki.net/2007/05/17/new-scientist/comment-page-1/#comment-5290 Simon Wed, 23 May 2007 11:10:47 +0000 http://blog.bluemonki.net/2007/05/17/new-scientist/#comment-5290 Of course, if you hate crappy science you should have watched Monday's Panorama on wireless networks. One sided, no scientific rigour in any of the testing, applying inconclusive data about a different subject (mobile phone transmissions) to mean that "wireless networks are dangerous". It'd be funny if it wasn't going to result in me rewiring the entire school with Ethernet... Of course, if you hate crappy science you should have watched Monday’s Panorama on wireless networks. One sided, no scientific rigour in any of the testing, applying inconclusive data about a different subject (mobile phone transmissions) to mean that “wireless networks are dangerous”. It’d be funny if it wasn’t going to result in me rewiring the entire school with Ethernet…

]]> By: Marc http://blog.bluemonki.net/2007/05/17/new-scientist/comment-page-1/#comment-5265 Marc Fri, 18 May 2007 13:59:10 +0000 http://blog.bluemonki.net/2007/05/17/new-scientist/#comment-5265 I feel a Jurassic Park and chaos theory statement is needed here. I feel a Jurassic Park and chaos theory statement is needed here.

]]> By: Simon http://blog.bluemonki.net/2007/05/17/new-scientist/comment-page-1/#comment-5263 Simon Fri, 18 May 2007 07:37:01 +0000 http://blog.bluemonki.net/2007/05/17/new-scientist/#comment-5263 The fact that the scientists even think they can run an accurate simulation of a chaotic system for 100 years shows you they're probably deluding themselves. Have they, for example, taken into account the inevitable shift in fuel usage as fossil fuels run out? They are using "best guess" by running x simulations until n of them agree, where n > x/2. As a chaotic system, a minor shift in something like the heat output of the Sun could mean we're all freezing our butts off in a century. The fact that the scientists even think they can run an accurate simulation of a chaotic system for 100 years shows you they’re probably deluding themselves. Have they, for example, taken into account the inevitable shift in fuel usage as fossil fuels run out?

They are using “best guess” by running x simulations until n of them agree, where n > x/2. As a chaotic system, a minor shift in something like the heat output of the Sun could mean we’re all freezing our butts off in a century.

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