George Rebane
Russ Steele, Nevada County blogger extraordinaire, closed down his long running NC Media Watch blog. He has moved his blogging enterprise to a new blog - 'The Next Grand Minimum' - that was launched today. In this research and publishing effort he will focus on real climate change backed by science that is yet to be tainted by politics. Specifically, he will present ongoing scientific evidence - imported and generated - that will validate or falsify the advent of the next grand minimum (NGM) in earth's ever changing climate.
Grand minima in precipitation and temperature have occurred cyclically throughout the millenia, and the next one appears due in the lifetime of those of us here now. Russ will collect, develop, and present evidence that is relative to the advent of this civilization impacting event.
I and most RR readers wish Russ the best in his new and important endeavor. RR has installed a permanent link to the blog in the 'Our Links' section in the right panel. We expect many points to the published work on that site.
Break a leg Russ!
Thanks George. There are a lot of challenges ahead, and lots to learn in the process. This is a start up enterprise and I welcome feed back on this new blog. Readers are welcome to comment and suggest changes and point me to new material, as one reader has already done. I am looking forward to future collaboration with other like minded individuals and scientist.
Posted by: Russ Steele | 20 August 2011 at 10:24 PM
"and the next one appears due in the lifetime of those of us here now. "
what exactly is the evidence that it is "due now"?
I understand you believe the current couple of years of weather data supports this as happening now, in your humble opinion, but what on earth do you present or see that allows you to say that it will continue on course, tomorrow and the next day?
Posted by: Douglas Keachie | 21 August 2011 at 12:59 AM
DougK, the evidence for the NGM is complex and vast. Its presentation and arguments are the sum and stuff of Russ' new blog.
That the NGM is coming can only be stated in probabilistic terms since all climate change is a vast stochastic process. However, using the same tools of probabilistic inference that found the rest of science and technology, the evidence points heavily toward the conclusion that established and observed climate cycles are still intact. Such cyclicity itself supports the advent of the NGM. Again, more on this at Russ' blog.
Posted by: George Rebane | 21 August 2011 at 08:08 AM
Is this just like the notion advanced by many on the right that if Obama were elected the stock markets would drop below 5000 and stay there?
Posted by: Douglas Keachie | 21 August 2011 at 12:21 PM
DougK, if that is your preferred route to understanding the NGM, then let's make it so. But be advised, more compelling avenues do exist.
Posted by: George Rebane | 21 August 2011 at 12:42 PM
Have you and Greg ever thought of taking the programming language R and making a Matlab clone that the high schools could afford, i.e., free?
Posted by: Douglas Keachie | 21 August 2011 at 03:08 PM
DougK, I believe that Mathworks has very affordable programs to establish educational site licenses for Matlab in schools. As a long time Matlab site licensee, I have discussed this with Mathworks several times and have directed university departments to obtain such licenses. It behooves Mathworks to get into the heads of tech-bound students as early as possible, for they ultimately convert to a high margin licensee.
For impediments to your suggestion, look at the abilities of the teachers-in-residence to handle Matlab instruction and its subsequent use. You then wind up sifting through low-grade ore.
Posted by: George Rebane | 21 August 2011 at 03:19 PM
Mr Keachie - you can have whatever opinion you want - they are like ........ everyone has one. To ask george to debate the fact that he is announceing another blog is kinda basurd.
I will say that never stopped you before, I will also say though apparently you have plenty of firewood you may need it - you never know.
Posted by: Dixon Cruickshank | 21 August 2011 at 09:04 PM
"For impediments to your suggestion, look at the abilities of the teachers-in-residence to handle Matlab instruction and its subsequent use. You then wind up sifting through low-grade ore."
Only if you assume that those teachers cannot learn the product, and from the product. There was a time back in the late 1980's and early 1990's, when those who knew Photoshop and Pagemaker could command $90/hour, and part of the reason was that they were considered, "so hard to learn." These days such skills are common, and the rates commanded are between 10 and 30 dollars per hour. Software applications are not unlike a Pacific Ocean, that is fog bound, but only 3 to 5 feet deep. It may take a lot of slogging, but eventually you'll get the hang of most any program, if you apply yourself to the task.
Posted by: Douglas Keachie | 21 August 2011 at 09:30 PM
Any site license that doesn't allow a student to have a copy as well is doomed to fail in a public school.
Posted by: Douglas Keachie | 21 August 2011 at 09:31 PM
Douglas K,
Check these out:
http://www.math.umaine.edu/~hiebeler/comp/matlabR.pdf
http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/R.matlab/index.html
I have been learning R for several years, using the tools to construct the graphic in my blogs. I am now trying to learn how to us R with Bayesian Data Analysis. It is slow going, but making progress.
Posted by: Russ Steele | 21 August 2011 at 10:58 PM
Congrats, Russ!
Posted by: Douglas Keachie | 22 August 2011 at 12:10 AM
It's been at least a couple of years since I've looked into what is available. It seems to me that a self starting student could totally go to town at the following location. I need to explore it some more, but the first thing I put in x + 3y = 15 resulted in a phenomenal batch of trails to explore.
http://www.wolframalpha.com/
Posted by: Douglas Keachie | 22 August 2011 at 12:24 AM