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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Achan hiArusa" data-source="post: 4708491" data-attributes="member: 2597">Interesting and somewhat inspiring.  I know when I teach physics I often deal with students who ask "why are we doing this?"My usual answer is the technological/medical one.  Also I use the idea that science helps foster scientific thinking in those who undertake it, that what they will take away from this class is not how fast a block slides down an inclined plane, but a way of thinking about any problem from a scientific viewpoint.  Also I've told my astronomy students when I do a night lab that if they can't understand the beauty and majesty of the universe then I question their very humanity.  This is usually out of frustration rafter showing them the nebuli of Orion or the binary Alberio and have them say they would rather be watching TV.My criticisms include is his general attack on superstition.  Now he only mentions coal walking and has someone talking about paranormal activity.  But is all "superstition" is bad?  Including religion?  I seem to get that perception after he includes evangelical type language after his initial demonstration.  Also as a global warming sceptic, there has been a 20,000 year trend in the increase in CO[sub]2[/sub] concentrations with a change in the rate of increase happening in the 1700s.  Modern temperatures are not much higher than those of the Medieval Warm Period or the Holocene Maximum (and they still can't grow grapes in the South of England like they did during the Medieval Warm Period).  Also, the "hole" in the Ozone didn't just stabilize, it continued to change in size both growing and shrinking way after CFCs had passed the "danger level" in concentration.  Also I still hate the term hole since it was a decrease in concentration rather than a hole.I understand how Fusion power could change our very lives because Fossil feuls are a limited resource (though with the Athabascan Tar Sands the shortage may happen far after our lifespans) and how science can shape our destinies, but I still see the whole Global Warming scare as selectively looking at scientific data.</blockquote>

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