you have to understand academics.
1. the first part about agnotology is just academics delighting in esoterica and delivering veiled insults.
Here we see Agnatology can be the the study how propaganda can become the accepted wisdom and these guys are pointing out the irony of an agw nutter pretending to be on the side of truth.
2. Next... (I love this one.)
The following put down is exceptionally sweet and would put many academics on the floor rolling.
"Their definition of climate âmisinformationâ was contingent upon the post-modernist assumptions that scientific truth is discernible by measuring a consensus among experts, and that a near unanimous consensus exists."
translation for fc --- only morons think that a consensus of scientific experts means anything. Every thinking person with a phd understands that it is only the science that matters.
3. The meat of the paper is then delivered -- only .3% endorsed the standard definition of consensus: that man has caused most of the warming since 1950.
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here is what you asked me to explain.
David R. Legates, Willie Soon, William M. Briggs, Christopher Monckton of Brenchley
http://link.springer.com/article/10...1191-013-9647-9
Abstract
Agnotology is the study of how ignorance arises via circulation of misinformation calculated to mislead. Legates et al. (Sci Educ 22:2007â2017, 2013) had questioned the applicability of agnotology to politically-charged debates. In their reply, Bedford and Cook (Sci Educ 22:2019â2030, 2013), seeking to apply agnotology to climate science, asserted that fossil-fuel interests had promoted doubt about a climate consensus. Their definition of climate âmisinformationâ was contingent upon the post-modernist assumptions that scientific truth is discernible by measuring a consensus among experts, and that a near unanimous consensus exists. However, inspection of a claim by Cook et al. (Environ Res Lett 8:024024, 2013) of 97.1 % consensus, heavily relied upon by Bedford and Cook, shows just 0.3 % endorsement of the standard definition of consensus: that most warming since 1950 is anthropogenic. Agnotology, then, is a two-edged sword since either side in a debate may claim that general ignorance arises from misinformation allegedly circulated by the other. Significant questions about anthropogenic influences on climate remain. Therefore, Legates et al. appropriately asserted that partisan presentations of controversies stifle debate and have no place in education.
Quote from futurecurrents:
So in your own words, can you explain the above in a few sentences? I mean, you were/are a lawyer so I assume your reading comprehension is pretty good. Can you tell us what this means?
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