New books on the power of doubt, 1970s science-fiction icons, consciousness, interstellar travel, and more
The Uncertainty Paradox The Primacy of Doubt: From Quantum Physics to Climate Change, How the Science of Uncertainty Can Help Us Understand Our Chaotic WorldCertainty is the currency of politics and social media, where boiling down complex issues into simple, bite-sized nuggets is now the norm.
Palmer is also a major contributor to improving climate models and is among the researchers who won the 2007 Nobel Prize for authoring the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports. His chapter on the topic, however, is a mixed bag. It excels in explaining evolving areas of research where reducing uncertainty is vital to figuring out just how bad things could get, such as whether clouds will speed up or slow down warming.
Scientific American columnist Naomi Oreskes and historian of science Erik M. Conway's book Merchants of Doubt, along with exhaustive journalistic and academic investigations, has shown how the fossil-fuel industry, conservative politicians and a tiny cadre of scientists have played up uncertainty with the intent to delay meaningful carbon regulation in the U.S.