4 thoughts on “Climate Change – The Elevator Pitch: Richard Alley”
As a palaeontologist giving tours of the fossil laboratory I worked in, there were often questions about the age of the earth that I answered in a similar manner (I don’t think my splutter/snort was quite so classy though).
We measure the age of rocks using the radioactive decay of unstable elements, using physics that’s been calibrated very precisely so that all the nuclear warheads sitting in silos and submarines don’t go off unless they’re meant to. Did you ever hear of that happening? No! – so when the physics says it’s X million years since this rock was last melted or dissolved, you can bet it’s pretty accurate.
I remember in another life standing on a ladder in an aircraft hangar and in an opposite corner to an all-weather fighter having its missile seeking heads checked out by my waving a torch (flashlight) around on shouted instructions whilst the azimuth and declination tracking was calibrated.
So well characterised are target heat sources for later I/R missiles that dummy flares can be discriminated against because of the difference in heat signature between those and the heat produced from engines or atmospheric friction. Early missiles had trouble with the sun and also light reflections from rippling water.
As a palaeontologist giving tours of the fossil laboratory I worked in, there were often questions about the age of the earth that I answered in a similar manner (I don’t think my splutter/snort was quite so classy though).
We measure the age of rocks using the radioactive decay of unstable elements, using physics that’s been calibrated very precisely so that all the nuclear warheads sitting in silos and submarines don’t go off unless they’re meant to. Did you ever hear of that happening? No! – so when the physics says it’s X million years since this rock was last melted or dissolved, you can bet it’s pretty accurate.
Love the elevator pitches but can you also post transcripts?
Thanks,
I remember in another life standing on a ladder in an aircraft hangar and in an opposite corner to an all-weather fighter having its missile seeking heads checked out by my waving a torch (flashlight) around on shouted instructions whilst the azimuth and declination tracking was calibrated.
So well characterised are target heat sources for later I/R missiles that dummy flares can be discriminated against because of the difference in heat signature between those and the heat produced from engines or atmospheric friction. Early missiles had trouble with the sun and also light reflections from rippling water.
How can people still deny that part of the warming and change is due to man’s industrial CO2 emissions, after listening to that ?…
Anti aircraft missiles are calibrated taking into account the laws of physics and IR disruption further more there has been recent empirical evidence.
Some people just enjoy arguing for the sake of it and give a pretense that they know better, do they not care that lives are being ruined and lost.
http://www.iflscience.com/environment/scientists-find-direct-evidence-atmospheric-co2-heats-earth-s-crust