lecture 1 and 2

• Understanding science and the media involves understanding the rise of social media and its impact on the spread of information.
• The scientific method involves observation, questioning, hypothesis formulation, experimentation, data analysis, and conclusion drawing.
• The scientific method allows us to figure out the answer instead of stating what we want the answer to be and then disregarding data that doesn't support it.
• The scientific method involves accepting new data and changing the paradigm as science progresses.
• Scientists are often seen as members of a jury because they are willing to accept new data and change their mind if the data support it.
• Humans are terrible at thinking and acting in their future interests, which is why it's understandable that people have trouble understanding climate change.
• Climate skeptics argue that climate change is about global trends, not the local weather on any given day.
• The main reasons not to plan for climate change are financial incentives for major corporations.
• Misinformation about climate change is easy to encounter, particularly these days.
• Nearly half of Americans are sure that global warming is happening, but most people don't understand climate science.
• Senator James Inhofe from Oklahoma brought a snowball onto the floor of the Senate to give a speech about how the fact that he had a snowball in February proved that global warming wasn't real.
• The belief in global climate change is increasing, while the belief that global warming is not happening has flatlined.
• The misconception that scientists are constantly wrong can be due to the fact that they are willing to accept new data and change their mind if the data support it.
• The term "fake news" is not new, with a history dating back to the 13th century BCE.
• Fake news can be used to persuade, confuse, harm, or entertain.
• When considering a news article, it's important to consider the source, check the authors, look at the date of publication, review your own biases, and ask if it's a joke.
• The Egyptian pharaohs are an example of delivering fake news, with a big battle resulting in a standoff that was presented as a win for the people at home.
• It's important to read beyond the headline, as the headline is designed to grab your attention and pull you in, while the story itself is what provides the actual information.
• It's totally fine to get your news from a biased source as long as you understand that's what's happening.
• The term "fake news" has been altered by the Trump administration, now meaning any news reporting that is unflattering.
• Climate skeptics are people who deny the scientific facts, often misunderstanding the science.
• The National Enquirer is not a reliable news source as it makes up stories for entertainment purposes.
• Scientists have to publish their work in order to advance in their field, and scientific journals are peer reviewed, with competitors trying to poke holes in the work.
• Published science is very trustworthy, unlike the media which doesn't have the same checks and balances.
• The media doesn't have the same checks and balances as science, and people have a tendency to only hear information that aligns with their personal views.
• News outlets that present views similar to your own will have more viewers than those that present a straight down the middle view.
• Msnbc is a left-leaning news organization that is moderately reliable.
• Peer review means that all of your competitors are trying to poke holes in your work.
• If you cheat in science, you will be caught and your career will be over.
• It's important to check the source for bias, as some news organizations are more reliable than others.
• The Weather Channel is a news organization with little bias in reporting the weather.
• Fox News is a right-leaning news organization that is moderately reliable.
• CNN is a news organization that is slightly to the left but more reliable in terms of reporting.
• Global climate change is a complex topic that can be overwhelming to understand.
• Science is not a belief-based system, and it doesn't matter whether or not someone believes in it, it exists.
• Climate change is about facts, not beliefs.
• Scientists are trained to be skeptical and recognize that they can't know everything, which can lead to uncertainty.
• 97% of climate scientists understand that anthropogenic global warming (AGW) is happening.
• The public is often confused about the scientific consensus on climate change, with 45% thinking there's scientific agreement but 55% thinking the science is not in agreement or they don't know.
• Scientific consensus doesn't mean that all of the scientists we've asked have agreed on this, it means that all of the data points to this.