Category Archives: Mathematics

Mathematics, Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Science And Society, Social Commentary, Technology and Society

“Deniers” And Ideologues

6 Comments

Judith Curry’s warning to Bjorn Stevens: “In my quest to objectively evaluate the IPCC’s attribution argument and stand up for research integrity post Climategate, I was not ‘pulled’ away from the establishment community by ‘deniers’; rather I was ‘pushed’ away by scientists who were IPCC ideologues and advocates. Watch out.”

Business, Mathematics, Technology and Society

Windows Install Problem

14 Comments

I’m trying to repair a Windows 7 installation with a Windows 8.1 DVD. I’ve configured the BIOS for Windows 8 mode, and I’m booting from the UEFI-DVD option. It dumps me into the EFI shell. I switch to fs3 (the drive name). I see BOOTX64.EFI on the drive, but when I run it from shell, it gives a screen saying to hit any key to install. I do that, and it dumps me back into the shell. Anyone have any idea what’s going on, or how to diagnose?

[Update a few minutes later]

Huh. Never mind. For some reason, now it’s working.

Now, next question. I selected the option to “repair the PC.” But it says that the drive where Windows is installed is “locked,” and I have to “unlock” it. What the hell does that mean?

[Update a few minutes later]

OK, I followed these instructions. After firing it back up, it’s back to it’s old trick of dumping me back into the EFI shell when I try to run bootx64.exe. Guess I’ll give it a few minutes and try again.

[Update a while later]

OK, separate (but related subject). Has anyone ever experienced a computer that kills flash drives? I just tried to copy an updated BIOS on to one. It didn’t work. When I put it back into the (Fedora) laptop that I’d downloaded it too, it can no longer see the drive. My Fedora desktop has done this as well, to the point that I’m afraid to put USB drives in it.

[Update a while later]

OK, this is weird. It turns out that the machine that’s destroying the flash drives is the one that I’m trying to flash the BIOS on. They’re OK when they leave linux, and get bricked when I plug them into the other machine, without even an OS running.

[Update a while later]

OK, it appears that the front USB port on the machine is killing the drives. The rear ones seem to be OK. Guess I’ll just tape them over.

[Update Saturday afternoon]

Still can’t figure out why I can’t boot Windows from the installation DVD. Anyone have any ideas?

Business, Economics, Education, Mathematics, Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Science And Society

Today’s EPA Hearing On The Hill

I listened to some of it. Here is Judith Curry’s prepared testimony, and here are Moynihan’s live tweets.

The Democrats were sufficiently unhappy that they abandoned the hearing before it was over. They can’t handle the truth.

[Update in the afternoon]

Before he walked out, Professor Curry assisted one of the Democrats in beclowning himself.

[Update a few minutes later]

Post-hearing thoughts from her. I agree that the economist’s testimony was valuable, too. They basically told the Democrats that what the EPA plans to do would hit the poor hardest. Which is absolutely true.

Mathematics, Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Science And Society, Technology and Society

Climate Activists Versus Skeptics

7 Comments

I know you’ll be as shocked as I am to learn that social media has failed to bridge the gap. Actually, though, they buried the lede:

…tweeters with climate sceptic views are no more likely to post offensive comments than those who accept the basics of climate science.

Sceptics have long been accused of trolling, but Williams said the study indicated their minority status meant they were just more likely to interact with users they disagreed with.

“We found a lot of negativity, but when you crunch the numbers you find out they are no more likely to be negative than anyone else,” he said.

“There is a popular perception that sceptics must be irrational or unreasonable but this study doesn’t support that at all.”

You don’t say.