Shut Up, Ken Caldeira
Shut Up, Ken Caldeira
I haven’t read Superfreakonomics (http://www.harpercollins.ca/books/9781554686087/Superfreakonomics/index.aspx) yet. I don’t know what, exactly, the book has to say about climate change. I do know, however, what climate scientist Ken Caldeira has to say about the book.
He says it misstated his position on climate change.
One of the co-authors says he sent a preview to Caldeira and asked him to review it.
Caldeira says he got the preview but did not read it. He further said, on climateprogress.org,
“”I feel no need to read, fact check, or make detailed comments on documents that arrive in my in-box. I have lots of other things to do, like trying to get my science out the door.”
Based on this, he feels the errors were not his responsibility.
Ken Caldeira, you are an ass. While it’s not necessarily your fault that the authors misunderstood or misinterpreted your statements, if you were sent a preview copy, saw it, and chose to ignore it, it is absolutely your fault that they misquoted you. Someone was gracious enough to send you a proof with the implied question, “Did I get this right?” You can’t refuse to answer that question and then bitch about the results, because silence is an implicit response: it’s fine by me. You said it was fine, Kenny. Any complaint you make now is a complaint about your own error in judgement.
And you have more important things to do, you say? I’m going to estimate the amount of time it would have taken for you to read one chapter of that book: an hour, at the most. I bet you spent at least an hour that week, in total, on the crapper. That might have been a good time to review the copy. I bet you also spent some time that week standing in front of a vending machine trying to choose between three potato chip flavours… or checking out links your friends sent you to sciencehumor.org… or picking your nose.
I’m not saying you have no right to recreation, but I am saying that you could, and should, have made time to check that chapter. Why? Because you did not have more important things to do.
Okay, maybe you had one or two things to do that were more important, but your own claim is that you’re trying to get your science out the door. Freakonomics has sold over four million copies to date, and there’s reason to think Superfreakonomics, its sequel, will do at least as well. Do you sincerely think you’re going to have a better chance than this to get your science out the door?
I’ll admit, you’re getting some attention now because of this controversy… but controversies don’t stay in the news forever, and that book will likely continue to sell and be read for many years. I believe your ideas would have been better served by being properly presented in the book.
Too late for that now, though, because you are an ass.
Current Bedside Reading: Eric Johnson and Karl-Heinz Reuband, What We Knew Terror, Mass Murder, and Everyday Life in Nazi Germany
Commentary: If I may sum up: “It depends.”
My iPod Is Singing: “There’s nothing sadder than sad, sad sex.”
I haven’t read Superfreakonomics yet. I don’t know what, exactly, the book has to say about climate change. I do know, however, what climate scientist Ken Caldeira has to say about the book.
He says it misstated his position on climate change.
One of the co-authors says he sent a preview to Caldeira and asked him to review it.
Caldeira says he got the preview but did not read it. He further said, on climateprogress.org,
“I feel no need to read, fact check, or make detailed comments on documents that arrive in my in-box. I have lots of other things to do, like trying to get my science out the door.”
Based on this, he feels the errors were not his responsibility.
Ken Caldeira, you are an ass. While it’s not necessarily your fault that the authors misunderstood or misinterpreted your statements, if you were sent a preview copy, saw it, and chose to ignore it, it is absolutely your fault that they misquoted you. Someone was gracious enough to send you a proof with the implied question, “Did I get this right?” You can’t refuse to answer that question and then bitch about the results, because silence is an implicit response: it’s fine by me. You said it was fine, Kenny. Any complaint you make now is a complaint about your own error in judgement.
And you have more important things to do, you say? I’m going to estimate the amount of time it would have taken for you to read one chapter of that book: an hour, at the most. I bet you spent at least an hour that week, in total, on the crapper. That might have been a good time to review the copy. I bet you also spent some time that week standing in front of a vending machine trying to choose between three potato chip flavours… or checking out links your friends sent you to sciencehumor.org… or picking your nose.
I’m not saying you have no right to recreation, but I am saying that you could, and should, have made time to check that chapter. Why? Because you did not have more important things to do.
Okay, maybe you had one or two things to do that were more important, but your own claim is that you’re trying to get your science out the door. Freakonomics has sold over four million copies to date, and there’s reason to think Superfreakonomics, its sequel, will do at least as well. Do you sincerely think you’re going to have a better chance than this to get your science out the door?
I’ll admit, you’re getting some attention now because of this controversy… but controversies don’t stay in the news forever, and that book will likely continue to sell and be read for many years. I believe your ideas would have been better served by being properly presented in the book.
Too late for that now, though, because you are an ass.
Current Bedside Reading: Eric Johnson and Karl-Heinz Reuband, What We Knew Terror, Mass Murder, and Everyday Life in Nazi Germany
Commentary: If I may sum up: “It depends.”
My iPod Is Singing: “There’s nothing sadder than sad, sad sex.”
Comments
JF (Jan 20, 2010)
I have read the book, there were a few things that I didn’t see the background for. There were some things that I did see and thought were very interesting. When I get it back you wanna have a boo?
Gayleen (Jan 20, 2010)
I would love to.
James (Jan 21, 2010)
I disagree with your iPod. I’m sure I, or some random internet forum, can think of a few things that are sadder than sad sad, sex. Aren’t most internet forums sadder than sad, sad sex?
Gayleen (Jan 21, 2010)
I think what makes the sad, sad sex so sad is that there was the expectation of happiness. Whereas few, if any, people expect happiness from an internet forum.
JF (Jan 21, 2010)
Trolls do, but I’m fairly certain they fall out side of the definition of ‘people’.
JF (Jan 21, 2010)
I’m also fairly certain they are not getting sad, sad sex or any other kind.
Gayleen (Jan 21, 2010)
I share your belief.
DPCS (Jan 22, 2010)
Ken Caldeira is a reptilian shape-shifter. So are the authors of Freakonomics and the sequel. So is Soleil Moon-Frye. So was Lyle Waggonner.
Not Harvey Korman (Jan 22, 2010)
As Lyle Waggoner is still alive, but his shape-shifting abilities are referred to in the past tense, one wonders: what circumstances led to Mr. Waggoner being forced to live out the rest of his days in human form?
Gayleen (Jan 22, 2010)
Still seeing your IP addresses, people.
DPCS (Jan 23, 2010)
It’s a very interesting story, and part of why I think of him so often. The tale will be fully told in my new book Cast Out From Conquerors: The Lyle Waggoner Story coming out from Knopf in late 2010.
JF (Jan 23, 2010)
oops. No wonder I don’t remember reading some of the things you mention….I thought the glue was starting to get good over here…I was thinking just freakanomics…
still available if you want to read it though.
mmmmmm paste drrrrrlllll…
Gayleen (Jan 23, 2010)
That one I’ve read. Actually, I listened to the audio book while I was packing to move back to Edmonton.
jf (Jan 30, 2010)
You still have the audio file? One of my friends would like it, he has a bit of dyslexia and loves audio books.
btw I have a raft of them if your interested.
Gayleen (Jan 30, 2010)
I’ll check–I might still have it, but I’m not sure.