A Conversation With The Climate Researcher Who Set Off A Debate About Science Publishing
The journal Nature recently published a paper that found global warming has increased the risk of rapidly-spreading wildfires by 25 percent in California. Patrick T. Brown, the lead author of the paper announced shortly after the publication that he stuck to a narrative he knew editors of the journal would like. He explained that he focused solely on climate change without trying to quantify other key aspects. While he clarifies he did not manipulate data, he makes the argument: this is not how science should work. His comments received lots of reactions. Climate change deniers and science skeptics used it as an opportunity to support their claims and some researchers echoed Brown's concerns. Others have criticized the move. Brown, who's co-director of the Climate and Energy Team at The Breakthrough Institute, joins Larry to discuss.
We reached out to Nature. Here’s a statement attributed to Editor in Chief Dr. Magdalena Skipper:
“The only thing in Patrick Brown’s statements about the editorial processes in scholarly journals that we agree on is that science should not work through the efforts by which he published this article. We are now carefully considering the implications of his stated actions; certainly, they reflect poor research practices and are not in line with the standards we set for our journal. We have an expectation that researchers use the most appropriate data and methods when assessing these data, and that they include all key facts and results that are relevant to the main conclusions of a paper. [I note that the issue of the lack of inclusion of variables other than climate change was highlighted during the peer review process, but the authors themselves argued against including it]. When researchers do not do so, it goes against the interests of both fellow researchers and the research field as a whole. To deliberately not do so is, at best, highly irresponsible.
When it comes to science, Nature does not have a preferred narrative. Nature editors make decisions about what to publish based solely on whether research meets our criteria for publication: original scientific research (where conclusions are sufficiently supported by the available evidence), of outstanding scientific importance, which reaches a conclusion of interest to a multidisciplinary readership.”
SAG-AFTRA’s Chief Negotiator Takes Us Inside The Actors’ Strike And The Efforts To Reach A Deal With Studio
The actors’ strike has been going on for two months now and some expect it may last through the end of the year. The last meeting between the striking members and the production studios was on July 12th when the two met at the bargaining table but no agreement was reached. SAG-AFTRA’s chief negotiator says that it’s up to the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers whether or not the two can move forward. Until the AMPTP comes forward with a fair deal, he says SAG-AFTRA members are prepared to strike for as long as it takes.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll speak with SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland about where things stand in the negotiating process.
The Unseen Ways Roads Affect Everything Around Us
Roads are just about everywhere in the U.S., even in the most remote recesses and rural areas. But most of us probably don’t tend to think about their impact on the world around them beyond their utility as a means from point A to point B. But as environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb explains in his new book “Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet,” the 40 million miles of roads that traverse our globe also affect everything around us -- from the million animals killed each year on roadways to invasive plant species that are tracked via car tire from one environment to another to water sources becoming contaminated by road salt and grime.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll speak with Ben Goldfarb about his new book, and the often unseen ways road ecology affects the world around it.
How Reading Instruction Became A Battlefield
Sixty-five percent of 4th graders in the U.S. are not proficient readers. This is one of the startling statistics cited by “How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong,” a new documentary from APM reports. Journalist Emily Hanford investigates why reading scores are so abysmal, pointing to a decades-long misconception about how kids learn to read. The documentary explores how phonics (teaching kids to sound out words) got sidelined in favor of other methods, and how reading instruction has been shaken up in recent years. Joining us to discuss are Emily Hanford, senior correspondent and producer for APM Reports, the documentary and investigative reporting group at American Public Media and Pedro Noguera, dean of the USC Rossier School of Education.
Remembering Kool & The Gang's Album 'Wild And Peaceful’ After 50 Years
Funk band Kool & the Gang released their debut album in 1969, but it wasn’t until the group’s album Wild and Peaceful released in 1973 that they found some notoriety and ultimately reshaped the future of jazz-funk, soul, disco and beyond. The album reached number 33 on the Billboard album chart. Marc Myers, Wall Street Journal music and arts contributor who recently wrote a piece about Wild and Peaceful's 50th anniversary, author of “Rock Concert: An Oral History” (Grove Press, 2021) and “Anatomy of 55 More Songs” (Grove Press, 2022), which is out in paperback this December, joins Larry to discuss the influence of the album.
