On Sun, Nov 29, 2009 at 12:24 PM, Edward Cherlin <[email protected]> wrote:

>> = Kirby (me)
> = Edward
 = Kirby

>> The decision tree is clear and you spell it out:  is there a warming
>> trend (yes or no) and if yes, are humans responsible to some degree?
>>
>> I think you and I would say "yes" and "yes".
>
> There is much more to the tree, and much more to any serious answer.

I am sure you're right.  As I mentioned, I have big holes in my
knowledge as to what's on Wikieducator and for the purposes of this
list, I'm willing to focus on those pages, just like on edu-sig
(Python.org), I'm focused on Python modules (e.g. mine), you on Turtle
Art (XO-based, though maybe x-platform?).

> The full scientific decision tree has had tens of thousands of
> decision points so far, and many more to come.

Sounds like National Geographic channel, which I'm watching right now
with my teenager, sitting in my Silicon Forest domicile (we have real
trees too).

> A question that has some interest, but currently comes over as
> rearranging the deck chairs on the plans for the successor to the
> Titanic.
>

I think we need to put the ethical tone on a different axis from the
factual axis, not saying either is most important (you need facts to
have ethics, last I checked).

Of course losing the Titanic was a real tragedy and a disaster, I'm
not disputing that, likewise have fond feelings towards Spaceship
Earth, keep my misanthropy (a mild case) in check on most days (I'm
primarily a philanthropist, work for CSN, a chain of philanthropic
casinos designed to pump funds to worthy causes (Casino Math is
another Wikieducator page I'm working on these days)).

>> then we need to get our sea
>> legs with this Gaia Hypothesis (appears to be correct)
>
> There are many versions. I don't know which one you mean.
>

Probably not so important (relevant) to this thread I think my only
purpose was just to get in the ballpark and give a rough idea of my
thinking, not drill down (or in) too deeply.

Mostly what I say in cocktail parties is I only respect the opinion of
Dutch engineers on the matter of global warming (they're pretty
serious about it for obvious reasons).  That's of course just a polite
way of changing the subject.

>> and start
>> realizing that GCC is somewhat under the conscious control of humans.
>
> Past time.
>

So here you celebrate and welcome GCC being under the CC of humans...

>> If humans have found a way to play with thermostat, that could come in handy.
>
> Matches are handy, but I don't see any value in letting children play with 
> them.
>

... but here you seem more ambivalent, looking at humans as children,
which is risky in terms of what kind of prophet you want to sound
like.

Given you seem to study the internal affairs of the USA's southeast
e.g. Alabama, I'm speculating as to what extent you yourself might be
influenced by Biblical models, even though you're on the record as not
being especially Biblical.

The Middle Eastern religions tend to be patriarchal in outlook and to
encourage a kind of cantankerous "father knows best" attitude among
older men.  They come off sounding patronizing.  You and I have never
met so I'm clearly in no position to have an informed view, just
wondering.

We should have a beer someday or other drink in a social setting so
that we might continue our mutual evaluation and assessment.

In the meantime, I mostly only discuss GCC with Dutch engineers (my
line on the ISEPP list as well, where I mostly stay with other
topics).

More my typical banter (flavor of ice cream):
http://mail.geneseo.edu/pipermail/math-thinking-l/2009-November/001329.html

More soon maybe, over on edu-sig perhaps?  I'm been trying to find out
how we do extended precision decimal stuff in Scheme.  Pretty easy no?

http://mail.python.org/pipermail/edu-sig/2009-November/009675.html

Kirby Urner

isepp.org (board)
python.org (voting member)
wikieducator.org (wikibuddy)

-- 
>>> from mars import math
http://www.wikieducator.org/Martian_Math

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