13 responses to “‘The Next Grand Minimum’ Launches”

1. 

   Russ Steele

   20 August 2011

   Thanks George. There are a lot of challenges ahead, and lots to learn in the process. This is a start up enterprise and I welcome feed back on this new blog. Readers are welcome to comment and suggest changes and point me to new material, as one reader has already done. I am looking forward to future collaboration with other like minded individuals and scientist.

   LikeLike

2. 

   Douglas Keachie

   21 August 2011

   “and the next one appears due in the lifetime of those of us here now. ”
   what exactly is the evidence that it is “due now”?
   I understand you believe the current couple of years of weather data supports this as happening now, in your humble opinion, but what on earth do you present or see that allows you to say that it will continue on course, tomorrow and the next day?

   LikeLike

3. 

   George Rebane

   21 August 2011

   DougK, the evidence for the NGM is complex and vast. Its presentation and arguments are the sum and stuff of Russ’ new blog.
   That the NGM is coming can only be stated in probabilistic terms since all climate change is a vast stochastic process. However, using the same tools of probabilistic inference that found the rest of science and technology, the evidence points heavily toward the conclusion that established and observed climate cycles are still intact. Such cyclicity itself supports the advent of the NGM. Again, more on this at Russ’ blog.

   LikeLike

4. 

   Douglas Keachie

   21 August 2011

   Is this just like the notion advanced by many on the right that if Obama were elected the stock markets would drop below 5000 and stay there?

   LikeLike

5. 

   George Rebane

   21 August 2011

   DougK, if that is your preferred route to understanding the NGM, then let’s make it so. But be advised, more compelling avenues do exist.

   LikeLike

6. 

   Douglas Keachie

   21 August 2011

   Have you and Greg ever thought of taking the programming language R and making a Matlab clone that the high schools could afford, i.e., free?

   LikeLike

7. 

   George Rebane

   21 August 2011

   DougK, I believe that Mathworks has very affordable programs to establish educational site licenses for Matlab in schools. As a long time Matlab site licensee, I have discussed this with Mathworks several times and have directed university departments to obtain such licenses. It behooves Mathworks to get into the heads of tech-bound students as early as possible, for they ultimately convert to a high margin licensee.
   For impediments to your suggestion, look at the abilities of the teachers-in-residence to handle Matlab instruction and its subsequent use. You then wind up sifting through low-grade ore.

   LikeLike

8. 

   Dixon Cruickshank

   21 August 2011

   Mr Keachie – you can have whatever opinion you want – they are like …….. everyone has one. To ask george to debate the fact that he is announceing another blog is kinda basurd.
   I will say that never stopped you before, I will also say though apparently you have plenty of firewood you may need it – you never know.

   LikeLike

9. 

   Douglas Keachie

   21 August 2011

   “For impediments to your suggestion, look at the abilities of the teachers-in-residence to handle Matlab instruction and its subsequent use. You then wind up sifting through low-grade ore.”
   Only if you assume that those teachers cannot learn the product, and from the product. There was a time back in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, when those who knew Photoshop and Pagemaker could command $90/hour, and part of the reason was that they were considered, “so hard to learn.” These days such skills are common, and the rates commanded are between 10 and 30 dollars per hour. Software applications are not unlike a Pacific Ocean, that is fog bound, but only 3 to 5 feet deep. It may take a lot of slogging, but eventually you’ll get the hang of most any program, if you apply yourself to the task.

   LikeLike

10. 

    Douglas Keachie

    21 August 2011

    Any site license that doesn’t allow a student to have a copy as well is doomed to fail in a public school.

    LikeLike

11. 

    Russ Steele

    21 August 2011

    Douglas K,
    Check these out:
    http://www.math.umaine.edu/~hiebeler/comp/matlabR.pdf
    http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/R.matlab/index.html
    I have been learning R for several years, using the tools to construct the graphic in my blogs. I am now trying to learn how to us R with Bayesian Data Analysis. It is slow going, but making progress.

    LikeLike

12. 

    Douglas Keachie

    22 August 2011

    Congrats, Russ!

    LikeLike

13. 

    Douglas Keachie

    22 August 2011

    It’s been at least a couple of years since I’ve looked into what is available. It seems to me that a self starting student could totally go to town at the following location. I need to explore it some more, but the first thing I put in x + 3y = 15 resulted in a phenomenal batch of trails to explore.
    http://www.wolframalpha.com/

    LikeLike