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***** To join INSNA, visit http://www.insna.org ***** Sounds like the Wall Street Journal needs to read Simmel on form vs. content. Miller On Mon, 24 Jul 2006, Richard Rothenberg wrote: > ***** To join INSNA, visit http://www.insna.org ***** > > In the continuation of her article, Dr. Oreskes cites the story of plate > tectonics denial. I just wanted to add that perhaps the most > influential voice in 20th century statistics--that of R.A. > Fisher--continued to rail against the association of smoking and lung > cancer until his death. There are relativity-deniers, > evolution-deniers, HIV-deniers etc. I agree with Dr. Oreskes that they > are not the problem. The problem rests with the people in power who try > to turn such arguments into convenient truths. > > Rich Rothenberg > > Valdis Krebs wrote: > > > ***** To join INSNA, visit http://www.insna.org ***** > > > > In today's LA Times, the author of the original study responds to the > > WSJ op-ed piece... > > > >> I am the author of that study, which appeared two years ago in the > >> journal Science, and I'm here to tell you that the consensus stands. > >> The argument put forward in the Wall Street Journal was based on an > >> Internet posting; it has not appeared in a peer-reviewed journal — > >> the normal way to challenge an academic finding. (The Wall Street > >> Journal didn't even get my name right!) > >> > >> My study demonstrated that there is no significant disagreement > >> within the scientific community that the Earth is warming and that > >> human activities are the principal cause. > >> > >> Papers that continue to rehash arguments that have already been > >> addressed and questions that have already been answered will, of > >> course, be rejected by scientific journals, and this explains my > >> findings. Not a single paper in a large sample of peer-reviewed > >> scientific journals between 1993 and 2003 refuted the consensus > >> position, summarized by the National Academy of Sciences, that "most > >> of the observed warming of the last 50 years is likely to have been > >> due to the increase in greenhouse gas concentrations." > > > > > > http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-oreskes24jul24,0,823343.story > > > > On Jul 14, 2006, at 9:47 PM, Valdis Krebs wrote: > > > >> ***** To join INSNA, visit http://www.insna.org ***** > >> > >> Opinion piece in today's WSJ claims that SNA shows that the scientists > >> whom agree on global warming are all a tightly-knit group -- a mutual > >> admiration society -- that dismiss all contrary findings without > >> consideration. > >> > >> Here is an excerpt... Wall Street Journal; July 14, 2006; Page A12 > >> > >> > In addition to debunking the hockey stick, Mr. Wegman goes a step > >> > further in his report, attempting to answer why Mr. Mann's mistakes > >> > were not exposed by his fellow climatologists. Instead, it fell to two > >> > outsiders, Messrs. McIntyre and McKitrick, to uncover the errors. > >> > Mr. Wegman brings to bear a technique called social-network analysis > >> > to examine the community of climate researchers. His conclusion is > >> > that the coterie of most frequently published climatologists is so > >> > insular and close-knit that no effective independent review of the > >> > work of Mr. Mann is likely. "As analyzed in our social network," Mr. > >> > Wegman writes, "there is a tightly knit group of individuals who > >> > passionately believe in their thesis." He continues: "However, our > >> > perception is that this group has a self-reinforcing feedback > >> > mechanism and, moreover, the work has been sufficiently politicized > >> > that they can hardly reassess their public positions without losing > >> > credibility. > >> > > >> > In other words, climate research often more closely resembles a > >> > mutual-admiration society than a competitive and open-minded search > >> > for scientific knowledge. And Mr. Wegman's social-network graphs > >> > suggest that Mr. Mann himself -- and his hockey stick -- is at the > >> > center of that network. > >> > >> Since this has become a political issue, is the opposing group also an > >> echo chamber? Similar to the red-blue political divide we see in the > >> USA? > >> > >> Would be interesting to run Mark Newman's community algorithm on all > >> scientists/papers involved in global warming, eh? > >> > >> Valdis > > > > > > _____________________________________________________________________ > > SOCNET is a service of INSNA, the professional association for social > > network researchers (http://www.insna.org). To unsubscribe, send > > an email message to [log in to unmask] containing the line > > UNSUBSCRIBE SOCNET in the body of the message. > > > > > > -- > Richard Rothenberg, MD > Professor, Department of Medicine > Division of Infectious Disease > Emory University School of Medicine > Editor, Annals of Epidemiology > 49 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive > Atlanta, GA 30303 > T: 404-616-5606 > F: 404-616-6847 > E: [log in to unmask] > > > _____________________________________________________________________ > SOCNET is a service of INSNA, the professional association for social > network researchers (http://www.insna.org). To unsubscribe, send > an email message to [log in to unmask] containing the line > UNSUBSCRIBE SOCNET in the body of the message. > ******************************** * Miller McPherson * * Professor of Sociology ****** University of Arizona * [log in to unmask] * ******************************** * _____________________________________________________________________ SOCNET is a service of INSNA, the professional association for social network researchers (http://www.insna.org). To unsubscribe, send an email message to [log in to unmask] containing the line UNSUBSCRIBE SOCNET in the body of the message.