Is anthropogenic global warming belief similar to belief in Alien Life?

Question

Many people believe in extraterrestrial life even when there is absolutely no proof that life exist anywhere other than Earth.

No one knows if it will be warmer 5 years from now or not, however they believe it's getting warmer.

Both arguments use only other people's opinions, their beliefs, and their views of the universe. Neither can be objectively proven.

Do those who believe in alien life and global warming do so because they don't believe in objective science, or just don't accept objective science?

Answer 1

I think it must be, when the science indicates that the atmosphere should warm at a faster rate than the surface for AGW to be true, and that turns out not to be true. You either fix the theory, find the real reason or promote the theory to cult status, which is what many seem to have done.

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/img/climate/res...

Surface                0.17 C decade

Mid troposphere  0.05 C decade

Survey says, global warming is not caused by CO2, unless the surface record is wrong, in which the warming is overstated.

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Answer 2

Belief in aliens is tantamount to your belief you are a Dr. of anything.

Answer 3

There's no proof of life elsewhere in the Universe, but it does seem to be a statistical likelihood. Billions of galaxies containing billions of stars around which dozens of planets could be orbiting means there's billions upon billions of opportunities for life to arise. And given enough time or enough opportunities, most anything can happen.

Remember that very few people who believe in the possibility of life on other planets expect that life to be in any way similar to life on Earth. We aren't talking little green men in spaceships here. The development of life on another planet, another planet likely very different from Earth, isn't likely to produce the same results (note here my frequent usage of the word "likely").

Lastly, science isn't about proving things. It's about creating useful (and often elegant and beautiful) explanations of the world around that we can use to make useful predictions about the future.

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Come now, Dr. Jello, are you saying you've never found a scientific theory to be aesthetically pleasing? Even just a little?

Answer 4

We are on the fringe of knowledge, we don't know much about life or understanding the climate, but a lot of people think we know almost everything about the universe.

We can speculate about the possibility of life on other planets - but it's just speculation.  For people who believe in life on other planets and have faith in it - that is like belief in AGW.

Answer 5

Objective science makes the assumption that nature never lies. That's why it makes such a terrible standard when dealing with topics in which men can have an input. Scientists can be fooled by illusionists, politicians, and military 'intelligence'. Asking them for answers in such conditions is naive at best.

Answer 6

I would say no.  Most who don't believe in alien life are skeptics.  Most who believe in GW are far from skeptical IMO but to be fair most of them probably are skeptical of UFOs.  I saw two UFO's (at one time) over a military base Yakima, Washington, in 1980 that I believe were controlled by alien intelligence, unless we have some technology far beyond what the government tells us,  but that does not relate to my belief that humans have probably not contributed significantly to harmful warming.

Answer 7

I never cease to be amazed by the nonsensical jargon I see on these posts related to scientific research and what it can or cannot tell about something.

I am a scientist.

Science cannot "prove" anything.  No matter how many experiments are done, or what evidence exists to suggest an answer to a question, there will always be room for someone to argue for a different answer.

Science can only prove the negative.

The scientific process is you develop a hypothesis, devise an experiment to test the hypothesis, do the experiment, evaluate the data, and see if it supports your hypothesis.

Eventually, when enough people have investigated a hypothesis and found it to be "true", it evolves into a theory, which is generally accepted by all.  Even then, someone can find a way to argue against it, and generally it is impossible to prove them wrong.

So, I will play devil's advocate.  If the VAST MAJORITY of leading scientists who have voiced an opinion say that anthropogenic global warming is a reality are wrong, naysayers should prove it with something more than an emotional tantrum.

Regardless of whether or not global warming is real, there are issues we need to be aware of:

-The human population has reached, or nearly reached, maximum density.

-We humans, through pollution and general inability to deal with wastes, are severly impacting the planet.

-Global warming may not be an issue, because we may make the earth uninhabitible by humans long before global warming impacts the environment, so why worry about it, right.

Answer 8

I would think a more appropriate analogy would be AGW proponents and those that believe in ghosts .There is evidence to suggest both exist.  A consensus of people believe in both (as opposed to a vocal minority that believe in ET), but when it comes down to it, neither can be proved.

There are mathematical models that predict phenomena that could be interpreted as ghosts, but no proof of their existence.  There are also mathematical models that attempt to describe climate.  The model is not proof of AGW.  In fact, last year 2.75wm^-2 went missing from the earth.  What spooky action caused it?

Answer 9

You are trying to compare the IPCC report compiled by thousands of experts with a 1985 film by Spielberg about a midget alien??  I honestly find it hard to believe that a so called top contributor  can ask a question as puerile as this.

But to try to help you understand by answer I will write it in big letters.

                                              'NO'

Answer 10

Yes they are identical and clearly there is no problem.  If only people would listen to you then nothing bad will happen.

Answer 11

Belief in GW is similar to primitive religions. People see a correlation between their activity and external events, and come to believe that they have an influence on the events. They then develop rituals to control them.

Primitive men did rain sacrifices and dances because they identified ( in their minds) a correlation betwen these rituals and the weather. Modern man attends Live Earth concerts and offers up carbon credits .

Answer 12

"If you're only skeptical, then no new ideas make it through to you. You never learn anything. You become a crotchety misanthrope convinced that nonsense is ruling the world. (There is, of course, much data to support you.) Since major discoveries at the borderlines of science are rare, experiences will tend to confirm your grumpiness. But every now and then a new idea turns out to be on the mark, valid and wonderful. If you're too resolutely and uncompromisingly skeptical, you're going to miss (or resent) the transforming discoveries in science, and either way, you will be obstructing understanding and progress. Mere skepticism is not enough."

'Science has its own internal "demons," you see; its practitioners can be just as narrow-minded and resistant to change as any other human being -- and as mean-spirited. I appreciate a good debunking as much as the next person, but too often, people think slapping the headline "Bad Science!" on a piece of snide, condescending finger-pointing is all that's required. It can be entertaining in the short term, especially if the author is clever, but it's basically little more than a cheap shot. No wonder it's not very effective as a communication tool in the longer term. Nobody likes being treated like a recalcitrant canine: "No! Drop it, Caesar! Bad Dog!" People just roll their eyes, shrug their shoulders and dismiss those cranky, arrogant science types out of hand. And the would-be debunkers find themselves merely preaching to the converted."

Carl Sagan

Answer 13

Objective science has verified global warming.  I think it's the opposite.  Those who deny anthropogenic global warming are more likely to believe in alien life.

Answer 14

Sure watch the movies; MIB and The Inconvenient Truth.You'll find many similarities, both are science fiction.The main character in the later is definitely from another planet.

Answer 15

No, the two are not remotely similar.

EVERY major scientific organization says that global warming is most likely anthropogenic.  

NONE claims alien life most likely exists.

The database for AGW is huge, that for alien life nonexistant.

Answer 16

You're right...since we can't immediately prove any future scientific discovery today, I guess we should just close up shop and stop trying to advance scientific knowledge.

Think harder.

Answer 17

no it is more like the belief that p**p is alive,it is fact there are tempter changes every few years the are gits warmer and in about 20 more years it will be cold agen and every one will be yelling ICE AGE.

hope it helps.