As you can see from the sidebar on the left, this weekend is the twentieth anniversary of the first DC-X flight. I was there at the time, so it will be like old home week. I’ll be on the road most of the day (flying to Tucson, and then driving to Truth or Consequences) so blogging will be light if at all (via phone), until this afternoon or evening.
The Current Crop Of Computer Models
…are close to useless:
…here we see a major problem with IAM-based climate policy analysis: The modeler has a great deal of freedom in choosing functional forms, parameter values, and other inputs, and different choices can give wildly different estimates of the SCC and the optimal amount of abatement. You might think that some input choices are more reasonable or defensible than others, but no, “reasonable” is very much in the eye of the modeler. Thus these models can be used to obtain almost any result one desires.
How (politically) convenient.
As I retweeted, they’re worse than useless to the degree that people trust them for policy decisions.
The World’s Tallest Building
…is a stupid contest.
The Early Chill In The Arctic Summer
…continues. But hey, the models are doing just fine.
Flights Of Fancy
Bob Zimmerman blasts the SLS and the porkers on the Hill, over at the WSJ.
The Latest Grasshopper Test
A little sideways action.
[Via Universe Today]
Will The Hyperloop Work?
Alan Boyle rounds up the discussion since it was formally announced on Monday.
I have to say that I do hope that it kills high-speed rail in CA, even if it never gets built.
What If They Had A War On Science?
…and nobody showed up?
Hilarious.
ObamaCare And Small Business
OK, now those racists are saying that it’s forcing them to cut workers’ hours.
Hyperloop, Tesla and Musk Bashing
I have some thoughts on the latest nonsense over at PJMedia.