Galaxy Zoo

I just came across this website, Galaxy Zoo, which invites people to explore the Hubble photographs for interesting features. It reminds me of the Google Earth community which wanders the global map and finds odd features in the landscape.


I really like this kind of approach to science. One does not need a PhD to contribute, just a pair of eyes. One feels welcome and not excluded. Maybe this is why there is such an antagonism to scientists from the media. This feeling of "you can't join our club".

Just some thoughts.

On children and the ICRCCM

Why am I looking at: Intercomparison of Radiation Codes in Climate Models? I had this strange surfing experience, starting at Climate Audit to see how R is implemented there, surfed over to Climate Etc. Upon browsing the responses to Judith Currie's blog, there was a response by a physicist who said that the greenhouse effect did not exist at all. I went to this man's website and read with wonder how he countered everything I had learned and believed about the Greehouse Effect. I did an internet search on this man's name and arrived at AGW Observer. In particular, these words:
"I even have seen people claiming that the greenhouse effect does not exist…
The last one of these claims is why I’m writing this thing now."

I am not writing this to discuss the greenhouse effect. The date of the first paper mentioned on the AGW blog was written by Ellingson & Wiscombe (1996).The date might be meaningless to a lot of people, but that year is the year my second son was born. I was still working at GKSS in Germany. I recall sending an email to the AGU regarding a paper I had submitted. It was not going to be finished, I said, because I just had a baby. I do not have the email, but the response was sympathetic. I am writing this because I feel sad about falling behind.