18 August 2009  Speeding Through Haldane's Four Stages  In 1963
J. B. S. Haldane wrote that the acceptance of scientific ideas
goes through four usual stages (PDF): (i) this is worthless
nonsense; (iii) this is true, but quite unimportant; (iv) I
always said so. Klotzbach et al. seems to be going through these
stages at an unusually rapid pace. Here are some examples.  (i)
this is worthless nonsense; From University of Texas atmospheric
scientist Michael Tobis a first reaction, "my BS detector is
ringing pretty loud." From climate modeler James Annan, "an
interesting paper which, if correct, helps to align the
satellite and surface temperature trends . . . all he seems to
have shown is that his preferred metric is even less useful than
it at first appeared." (iii) this is true, but quite
unimportant; Tobis again, a little later, not passing judgment
but saying "if they have [actually resolved the temperature
trend differential], it means that both temperature records are
substantially correct." (iv) I always