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Researchers in the UK have developed a method of improving the long range accuracy of summer weather in the UK and Europe. The scientists found a connection between sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic in March and April and the subsequent summer’s rain or shine.

Before getting to the subject of climate models and why they aren’t reliable as forecasting tools, there are two small points worth bringing up:

Experts at the heart of US government climate research have asked that their science be excused from the rigorous testing against the null hypothesis. We look at what the null hypothesis means and why government climate research, by abandoning the test of the null hypothesis, in turn, abandons science.

The first teacher of any note only asked questions.  Socrates was this teacher.  I have read that he said he did this because he did not know and was merely trying to find out what his students knew.  Contrary to how Socrates taught is the common conception that a teacher should tell the students what they should know instead of helping them discover what they might already know (reason) without being told.

When the first research started coming out about the horrible effects of sugar, the industry Lobby made efforts to hide the truth from the public. The Sugar Lobby uses exactly the same methods the Tobacco Industries were using for years: misleading advertising, paying scientists to publish research in their favour or discrediting any scientists who published any research against their product.

1. Significant Decreasing Trend In Severe Weather Since 1961

Zhang et al., 2017

Based on continuous and coherent severe weather reports from over 500 manned stations, for the first time, this study shows a significant decreasing trend in severe weather occurrence across China during the past five decades.

The Paris Agreement adopted in December 2015 during the COP21 climate conference stipulates that the increase in the global average temperature is to be kept well below 2°C above “pre-industrial levels” and that efforts are pursued to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above “pre-industrial levels.”

A new analysis of the oldest known fossil microorganisms provides strong evidence to support an increasingly widespread understanding that life in the universe is common.

In assessing the global-scale trends in near-surface (0-20 m) ocean temperatures between 1900 and 2010, Gouretski et al. (2012) determined that the world’s oceans warmed by about 1.1°C between 1900 and 1945 (~0.24°C per decade), but then only warmed by an additional net 0.3°C between 1945 and 2010 (~0.046°C per decade), including a cooling trend between 1945 and 1975.

It’s a well-known fact that even the smallest amount of aluminum, if found in a person’s brain tissue, can become a huge problem. There have also been many studies that look into how having high-levels of aluminum in brain tissue is correlated with neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Lighting has always been a source of awe and mystery for us lowly mortals. In ancient times, people associated it with Gods like Zeus and Thor, the fathers of the Greek and Norse pantheons. With the birth of modern science and meteorology, lighting is no longer considered the province of the divine. However, this does not mean that the sense of mystery it carries has diminished one bit.

A few years ago, it was kryptonite (an imaginary substance) that garnered all the headlines. Now it’s crypto-coins, i.e. computer-bits or something similar.

The Juno space probe was launched back in 2011 on course for Jupiter. It arrived in orbit of the gas giant in summer 2016 after five years of travel, and it began sending back stunning images and extensive scientific data early this year. One of the primary duties of Juno is to study the iconic Great Red Spot, a giant cyclone that has been churning in Jupiter’s clouds for centuries. A newly released study based on Juno data includes the most accurate measurements yet of this monster storm.

A professor at Boston University has proclaimed Christmas carol favorite “Jingle Bells” to be a “racist song” and is urging people to shun the jaunty tune.

In November the sun was unusually quiet with respect to its activity. The observed sunspot number (SSN) was merely 5.7, which is only 14{154653b9ea5f83bbbf00f55de12e21cba2da5b4b158a426ee0e27ae0c1b44117} of what is typically normal for month number 108 into the cycle. The current cycle number 24 began in December 2008. The sun was completely spotless 19 of 30 days in November.