Monday, November 16, 2009
Al Gore flunks basic geology
Talk about your inconvenient factoids. How does anybody with two brain cells to rub together, even if he did go to Harvard, think that anywhere on the inside of the earth has a temperature of "several million degrees." And how did Conan not call him on it?
I suppose it is just as well that Gore did not win a Nobel Prize for science.
26 Comments:
By 
Dawnfire82, at
Tue Nov 17, 12:06:00 AM:
What, like you expect him to be accurate when talking about temperatures?
By Brian, at
Tue Nov 17, 01:20:00 AM:
Maybe he knows it's several thousand, not several million. Maybe not.
Kind of like saying "basic geography" in headline when you know that really meant "basic geology."
By 
, at
Tue Nov 17, 01:25:00 AM:
Gore took only two science courses at Harvard, and got a D in one of them. He didn't take any math courses. I would not be surprised to find out the science courses were of the rigor of a "Science for Poets" type course- not very rigorous. So, his college education didn’t prepare him very well for applying numbers to the natural world.
Al Gore’s number sense is apparently confined to increasing his bank account. As Al Gore had a short stint at divinity school, the following may provide an example of Al Gore’s number sense.
God, I was wondering...how long is a million years to you?"God answered, "Son, a million years to me is like a second to you."So the man asks, "God how much is a million dollars to you?"And God answered, "Son a million dollars to me is like one penny to you."So the man asks, "God, can I have one of your pennies?"And God answers, "Just a second son."
Is the sea level going to rise a centillion kilometers or a nanometer as a result of global warming? Al Gore will tell you, just as sure he will tell you that his hybrid stretch limo gets a centillion miles to the gallon.
By Purple Avenger, at
Tue Nov 17, 02:45:00 AM:
By JPMcT, at
Tue Nov 17, 07:59:00 AM:
To a confidence man, facts are irrelevant. All that matters is that your "mark" believes what you say.
By TOF, at
Tue Nov 17, 08:47:00 AM:
Conan call him on it? What makes you think Conan has a clue?
By , at
Tue Nov 17, 09:08:00 AM:
Politicians and journalists pay no attention to facts. Facts are irrelevant to them. Power and money count. Veracity doesn't. Algore is a pompous, rich, con man, jackass who has cost the world huge resources, panic and grief by hypeing a myth based on partial truncated "data".
By Catchy Pseudonym, at
Tue Nov 17, 09:11:00 AM:
I could be wrong, but shouldn't it be 'Al Gore Flunks Basic Geology'?
By Catchy Pseudonym, at
Tue Nov 17, 09:13:00 AM:
I see someone has already pointed that out. My bad.
By TigerHawk, at
Tue Nov 17, 09:15:00 AM:
Yes, Catchy, and I flunk basic proof-reading! But I did not win a Nobel Prize on that basis.
By , at
Tue Nov 17, 09:41:00 AM:
"And how did Conan not call him on it?"
Because Conan is a moron, and an unfunny moron at that.
Al Gore is a genius, an evil genius but still a genius. Anyone who can drive the mass media to convince tens of millions of people that the world as we know it will end unless we throw money at inefficient energy production techniques in which he holds equity stakes is a genius. He's got a billion bucks, each of which is a testament to the stupidity of voters and the corruption of politicians.
I can't even lie successfully to my wife. I feel like such a failure.
By Viking Kaj, at
Tue Nov 17, 11:05:00 AM:
Well, not to get too technical, but it is more like he flunks basic astrophysics, since the only thing that gets into the million Kelvin range is a thermonuclear reaction. Interestingly enough, the surface of the sun is in the same order of magnitude as the earth's core temperature, at ca. 5,000 Kelvin. The estimated temperature of the sun's core is significantly higher at 15 Million Kelvin. Which of course still raises the question of where Gore got his figure.
I still maintain the people who are the dumbest are the Norwegian Nobel Committee who gave him the prize in the first place, but then they have gone on to significantly greater manifest stupidity. Highly ironic from politicians who owe their standard of living to the discovery of hydrocarbons (oil) in the North Sea, and advocate increased commercial whaling and clubbing seal pups to death for their coats, but then there you have it.
By , at
Tue Nov 17, 11:44:00 AM:
I think Al is funnier than Conan, by a long shot.
By Kurt, at
Tue Nov 17, 12:47:00 PM:
How did Conan not call him on it??? It's simple, really. Conan went to Hahvahd, too!!!
By Purple Avenger, at
Tue Nov 17, 02:22:00 PM:
Which of course still raises the question of where Gore got his figure.
If I had to make a guess -- it was your garden variety ummm..."rectal extraction" of "fact" constructed on the spot.
By Purple Avenger, at
Tue Nov 17, 02:26:00 PM:
Don't get me wrong though...with a bit of general scientific knowledge, its often possible to do rectal extractions that are usually within say 30% of actual.
My partners and I do this sort of thing all the time while having "order of magnitude" discussions about something while walking/driving around with no ready references handy.
By Viking Kaj, at
Tue Nov 17, 02:53:00 PM:
Hey, what if we stage a "tea party", complete with signs, at the Norwegian consulate in NYC and call the local & Norwegian newspaper correspondents to cover it?
We should do it on the day before Obama accepts. Bet we could make the Norwegian daily newspapers for the six people in Norway who can read.
As a person of Swedish heritage I am up for anything that makes Norwegians look like idiots, which as we all know is not difficult.
Anybody up for it?
By joe buz, at
Tue Nov 17, 02:59:00 PM:
Al keeps this disinformation crap up he is going to mess up my sales of anti polar shift magnets.
By Viking Kaj, at
Tue Nov 17, 03:08:00 PM:
Ceremony is December 10 in Oslo. Apparently the big O will be there, but is going to skip the climate conference in Copenhagen which is going on at the same time.
Anybody else find it ironic that he could make it to Copenhagen on a whirlwind trip to try to bring home the Olympic pork for the Daileys, but is unable to make a little side trip to the most important climactic conference this decade?
Link, whereforeartthou?
By Brian Schmidt, at
Tue Nov 17, 03:58:00 PM:
TH, I'm glad to see your commitment to accuracy in replacing the headline you wrote from "flunking basic geography" to "flunking basic geology".
However, since your mistake is similar in kind to the one that Gore made, it might be worth noting the fact in the post.
Unlike the others writing here so critically about Gore, I don't see either your mistake or his as a very big deal.
I also see that noone here has noted Conan's mistake in describing geothermal energy as coming from earth's core. Again, I'd put it in the category of "not a big deal".
By , at
Tue Nov 17, 05:03:00 PM:
Brian, we will similarly decide that your pronouncements on AGW have the same degree of accuracy as those of the Goracle on temperature.
Brian is speaking. "Not that big a deal." Discount it.
By Brian Schmidt, at
Tue Nov 17, 06:38:00 PM:
Boludo, if what I predict is wrong, then all the more reason to bet me over it, right?
And btw, your Harvard link mentions two science courses but doesn't say they were the only ones he took.
By Everyman, at
Tue Nov 17, 07:35:00 PM:
Al and Conan: the sound of no hands clapping.
By JPMcT, at
Tue Nov 17, 09:05:00 PM:
"Al Gore is a genius, an evil genius but still a genius"
I beg to differ.
Gore's success is more a measure of our collective stupidity than of his inherent intelligence.
Not to mention the adulation of the American Media to Democrat party line issues.
A well educated American electorate would NEVER put up with the foolishness we have seen with the current Democrat agenda.
Stupidity is a prerequesite.
By Purple Avenger, at
Wed Nov 18, 12:47:00 PM:
I don't see either your mistake or his as a very big deal.
Doesn't that kind of depend on what he actually believes?
A typo isn't quite the same thing as fundamental ignorance of science.
By Brian, at
Fri Nov 20, 11:19:00 AM:
For your consideration: liberals making a big deal out of Palin saying "Iraq" when she meant "Iran":
http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/palin-crack-down-on-iraq-to-prevent-nuclear-iran.php?ref=mp
The one difference is that in the comments there, a significant minority of liberal commenters point out that this is trivial.
