ريتشارد دوكنز's Blog, page 641
November 13, 2015
Rosetta Maps Gas On Comet 67P For First Time
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Hydroxyl (left), oxygen (middle), and cyanide (right) emissions on Comet 67P. Rosetta
A University of Maryland-led team of scientists has mapped the gas emissions of Comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko up close for the first time. Using Rosetta’s Optical, Spectroscopic and Infrared Remote Imaging System (OSIRIS) camera, the team studied some of the surprising processes taking place near the comet.
November 12, 2015
Science Denial: Emotional Roots, Part 2
A frightened and an angry face. Engraving, c. 1760, after C. Le Brun. This file comes from Wellcome Images, a website operated by Wellcome Trust, a global charitable foundation based in the United Kingdom. Copyrighted work available under Creative Commons Attribution only licence CC BY 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...
In part 1 of this post, I told you about the game-changing experience I had when I really started listening to how many of my students felt about my beloved language of science—i.e., that they hated it. I promised to tell you how people’s reaction to a hands-on climate change activity triggered another revelatory moment. At our Science Booster Club events in Iowa City about climate science and climate change, I’ve had an opportunity to observe people’s reactions to these topics up close and personal for the first time. Earlier in my life, I know I would not have been able to accept the depth of the negative emotions some people clearly experience when encountering this topic. I would have needed to bluster about it and come up with a reason why their emotional response was simply wrong. Perhaps, at some point, I would have needed to laugh at such people, to distance myself from them. Emotionally comfortable as that reaction may be for those of us who are frustrated by science denial, it doesn’t help solve the problem, does it?
Here’s what happened. Last week, for Halloween, the Iowa City Science Booster Club provided several hands-on climate change activities (specifically on sea level rise) for approximately 1300 people. A fair number of these people were children who were completely jumped up on candy. Of the adults, about 70% responded positively or with curiosity to information about climate change. Slightly less than half of the positive group had heard about the phenomenon and were interested to see it presented more clearly than they had in the past. Slightly more than half of the positive group had never before heard about sea level rise, were surprised by the information, and often took cards to learn more about climate change from our recommended sources.
The other 30% reacted negatively to the information. Some of them quite negatively. This is not to say that all members of this group are people who actively engage in science denial. However, their reactions to information on climate change suggested profound psychological denial. Many people closed their eyes as they walked through the exhibit to avoid seeing these things. Some put their hands over their ears so they would not have to hear the presentations. Others wore expressions of despair, or of physical pain. Climate change had punched them in the gut.
Strong emotions, right? Very strong emotions! You can easily see how such profound psychological and emotional denial could find refuge in news sources and “think tanks” that cast doubt on the science of climate change in apparently intellectual language. But perhaps it also gives us some new ideas, another key we can use to reach out to this group of people. I suspect it will be important to understand what exactly about this information is hurting, frightening, or discouraging them, if we want to reach them. Frankly, I’m a ways off from that, but at least I’ve found a place to start.
A place to start is good news. And more good news is that the majority of adult guests who attended our event did experience it positively; did engage with the material, express interest, and often sought out more. Participants visiting from Florida and Louisiana expressed gratitude to see this problem that directly affects them presented in public. People talked about things they could do, and policies our country should take up, in order to combat the serious problem of sea level rise.
It is great that our current methods are reaching so many people. But climate change is a problem that involves everyone. We’ll continue working on new ways to reach people. With a new understanding of the emotional roots to this problem, I think we can brew up some different solutions.
Where Did Earth’s Water Come From?
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A new study suggests it wasn't comets and asteroids. NASA
Researchers from the University of Hawaii believe they have discovered the origin of Earth’s water. For many years, scientists were uncertain whether water was present when our planet formed or if it was carried by comets and asteroids at a later time.
Astronomers Have Discovered The Oldest Stars In Our Galaxy
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CarpathianPrince/Shutterstock
An international team of astronomers has discovered some of the oldest stars in the Milky Way. In the process, they were able to learn a lot about the abundance of different elements in the very early universe.
Happy Birthday Philae: 7 Facts About The Amazing Comet Lander
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Party hats on. ESA/IFLScience
One year ago today, millions of people around the world watched as the Philae lander became the first spacecraft to touch down on a comet.
An Enormous Piece Of Space Junk Will Crash Into The Ocean Tomorrow
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NASA
Nope, not even the cosmos is free from the curse of “Friday the 13th.” On November 13, 2015, a mysterious piece of space junk will re-enter the atmosphere and hit Earth.
The space debris – known as WT1190F or, more fittingly, WTF – is expected to land around 100 kilometers (62 miles) off the coast of Sri Lanka into the Indian Ocean. Scientists are still pretty stumped as to what precisely the object is, although the European Space Agency (ESA) thinks it might be a chunk of a rocket's body.
Why Do Some Bees Produce Hallucinogenic Honey?
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The Himalayan cliff honeybee has been known to produce "mad honey." L. Shyamal via Wikimedia Commons
For a short period each spring, bees in certain parts of the world add a little extra ingredient to their honey, giving it a trippy twist. By gathering nectar from the rhododendrons that come into bloom at this time of year, they infuse their sugary produce with certain toxins that cause a range of interesting effects when ingested by humans.
Cockroaches Have “Turbocharged” Bites Five Times Stronger Than Ours
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These little critters have incredibly powerful bites. Take Photo/Shutterstock
It’s safe to say cockroaches don’t have the biggest fan base in the world. They’re almost universally reviled as disgusting, crawling initiators of psychological warfare. So it won’t come as any comfort to learn that they also have a “turbocharged” bite, one that is 50 times more powerful than the force exerted by their own body weight. The new findings have been published in the journal PLOS ONE.
Could Ketamine Be Used To Treat Depression?
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Scientists in Australia have received funding to investigate the effects of ketamine on depression. Psychonaught via Wikimedia Commons
Scientists in Australia have received a AUS$2 million ($1.4 million; £940,000) federal government grant to investigate the potential of ketamine to treat depression. Researchers at the Black Dog Institute in Sydney plan to begin recruiting for the trial in March, and will enroll 200 participants who have so far not responded to existing medications for the condition.
Massive Glacier In Northeastern Greenland Is Melting At An Accelerated Rate
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If the two largest glaciers in Greenland were to melt, global sea levels would rise by one meter. Maria Stenzel/UC Irvine
If the entire glacier in the northeast of Greenland melted, then global sea levels would rise by an astonishing 46 centimeters (18 inches). Unfortunately, it seems the rate at which this glacier, known as Zachariæ Isstrøm, is sliding into the ocean and breaking apart has dramatically increased since 2012. At its current rate, it is losing a worrying 4.5 billion tonnes (5 billion tons) of ice per year.
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