The Australian Academy of Science has announced their 2014 HONORIFIC AWARDS FOR SCIENTIFIC EXCELLENCE
The description reads:
Academy Medal: for contributions to science by means other than the conduct of scientific research. Hmmm, that actually seems appropriate, since his tourist affair hardly seemed like “scientific research” Here’s the bio on Turney in the awards section:
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Professor Chris Turney
School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences
University of New South Wales
Professor Turney is an internationally recognised earth scientist and research leader in both climate and environmental change, from the tropics to the poles. By pioneering new ways of combining climate models with records of past climate change (spanning from hundreds to thousands of years), he has discovered new links between variability mechanisms in the Australian region and global climate change.
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Source: http://www.science.org.au/awards/awardees/2014awards.html
I wonder if the award was decided before his Antarctic fiasco or if AAS simply has glossed over the recent incompetence?
h/t to Jo Nova
I remember when awards were for doing unique and special work. Now they are a tool to build credentials and mold behavior. So it is entirely logical that prominent screw-ups become a motivating force in an organization to re-build credibility for incredulous behavior.
It was either him or the carbon rod.
We can’t let an embarrassing, nay, shameful counter-narrative stand. We must turn this fiasco into a triumph! Quick, call academe. Call our leftist friends in the media. Call the NY Times. Call Peter Gleick.
Participation/Encouragement awards now?
Actually this is brilliant.
I’m guessing the vote on this “award” was done some time last year, as this is govt run academia.
Then the “man of excellence” goes forth to trip upon his own ego and dishonesty in the icy waters of Antarctic summer.
Would that be chicken egg?
Or Emu?
” I wonder if the award was decided before his Antarctic fiasco or if AAS simply has glossed over the recent incompetence? ”
Owing to “Bureaucratic inertia”, it was probably decided some time back …
.
Truly sad that science has devolved into the equivalent of the U.S. grade school, where every scientist gets a gold star on his forehead just for playing.
(presuming he’s on the proper team, of course…)
Ahhhh….the Icing on the cake! How fitting.
Was this awarded ironically? They have contributed an enormous amount to science by fouling it up so enormously. I wouldn’t call Mr. Turkey a leader either. Shackelton was a leader, lead his people out of harm; Turkey did not.
Leo Morgan says: January 21, 2014 at 9:16 am
Sorry, Leo. Rorke’s Drift was not a fiasco. It was a very brave action. Perhaps you are thinking of the fiasco that preceded it – at Isandlwana?
phaedo says:January 21, 2014 at 10:08 am
He’s bloody lucky it wasn’t awarded posthumously!
Yet another example of how science has become radically politicized…
Awaiting the Mann-style article in a popular periodical lauding Turney’s brave one-man war of logic and science against “climate deniers”. It will fail to mention that the brilliant mind that projects loss of Antarctic ice decades from now could not predict the ice that trapped his cruise of folly (even with readily-available data).
Those whom the Gods seek to destroy they first call promising!
What is that saying: “A few more victories like this and we’ll be ruined…”
If we’re lucky.
Mr. Turkey hasn’t achieved a damned thing to warrant this award.
Show me the achievement??? I didn’t know who he was until he got stuck in Antarctic summer sea ice (that wasn’t supposed to be there). Famous for modeling work! Only in climate science.
Further up on the same page I see someone else who is a least worthy.
Well we now can be sure that “AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE” are a great way for determining who are the best Arse-Kissers. It is the reason I never bothered showing as a horseman after watching the $100 get passed to buy a first prize. (By a well known newspaper family no less.)
Excuse me, i have to go lose my lunch now….
I just looked the kid I rode with up and nearly bust a gut laughing “…assistant United States attorney….” and here I would have sworn the kid was headed straight for jail when I knew the kid as a teen.
He is being awarded for his INTENTIONS; that it worked out otherwise is of no matter. He is probably even a martyr in some circles.
“Gail Combs says:
January 21, 2014 at 10:44 am
I just looked the kid I rode with up and nearly bust a gut laughing “…assistant United States attorney….” and here I would have sworn the kid was headed straight for jail when I knew the kid as a teen.”
Considering the current state of politics, it could still be true 🙂
Leo Morgan says at
Sorry, Leo Morgan (January 21, 2014 at 9:16 am) I agree with Harry Passfield.
Rorke’s Drift was a valiant rear-guard action that demonstrated to the Zulu that winning the war was going to be very costly.
It was proof that Isandlwana was not going to be easy to repeat and so discouraged the waging of a long war.
Whilst rotting in the hallowed halls of academia, what better way to be recognized than by an award from an academy of academics.
Progressive intellectuals successfully placed junk on pedestals in the art world first, so science seemed an easy mark too, which for a time it was, all alas pegged to the weather in a way that now threatens to topple the whole popular edifice of misdirection that is the contemporary liberal arts, and thus the inertia of the invested still carries them on further into ridiculousness, no different from praise of scribble art and even blank canvases, all taught seriously to new generations of students, still, but not much longer.
“Cézanne is the finest expressions of this decadence. He was truly unable to imitate the masterpieces and all of his admired technique is merely proof of his inability. His apples are made of cement. The paradox is that what is least admirable is most admired: nullity! What a symbol for a period! On the pretext of the academic being detestable, the worst in the class was made a hero! He opens the door to the ethics of sh*t! Newness at whatever costs and art becomes just a latrine! The logic of this search for newness leads to the gratification of total shit of which Cézanne is the high priest.” – Salvador Dali (Dali on Modern Art, 1957)
Such awards are like a case of hemorrhoids . . .
Sooner or later, every a**hole gets one.
The only award fitting for this …. this …. this … person is “Jabroni of the Year”.
An idea: How about we come up with a “Denialist of the Year” award??