“… humans … are bogged down by their unique ability to rationalize and reason.”
Guest essay by Eric Worrall
Raghu Murtugudden, executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Forecasting System at the University of Maryland Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC), and a professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, believes that the ability of humans to think is a disadvantage, when responding to climate change.
According to Professor Murtugudden (comparing our response to climate change to finding cheese in a maze);
“… mice can sense the coming change. Before it’s too late, they run through the maze and find new cheese. The men, however, fail to notice the subtle collapse in the cheese supply until it’s nearly too late. Haw, the more proactive of the little men, realizes that the cheese has all but disappeared and sets out in the maze to find new cheese. He learns a number of lessons along the way and does manage to both find new cheese and enjoy it as much as the old. Hem, however, remains unconvinced that the cheese will disappear. He also concludes that even if the cheese were to disappear, he wouldn’t like the new cheese anyway.
The moral of the story is that even creatures like mice — with their simple brains — are biologically tuned to notice and rapidly respond to change, whereas humans — the most evolved life form — are bogged down by their unique ability to rationalize and reason. Some members of the species even resort to wholesale denial that change is well underway, even when said change is caused by their own actions.
The parallels to humans and climate change are rather obvious. Humans are constantly seeking more and more comforts, even at the cost of irreversibly damaging the planet.
Less fortunate humans may, in fact, be more in tune with environmental changes and quicker to adapt, even when the changes result from over-consumption by the rich. Some humans are more sensitive to changes, even if they are late in responding to them. Others may resort to complete denial of the change itself or deny the need for action to avert change, especially when the thermostat is being discreetly adjusted.”
http://news.yahoo.com/human-nature-may-seal-planets-warming-fate-op-183943535.html
Its difficult to know how to respond to that – I always thought our ability to reason is the asset which has facilitated our greatest achievements, a gift which has allowed humans to adapt to and thrive in an extraordinary range of climatic conditions.
Perhaps Professor Murtugudden should be more careful in future, about checking the use-by date on his cheese.
One day this cheese ball Earth is going to be consumed by an expanding Sun. I sure hope my offspring are able to adapt to minuscule changes and flee this cheese ball for another cheese ball that may be warmer or colder. Only a true believer thinks Earth doesn’t change and that humans are unable to adapt.
Everyone must often have reflected that it is man’s fallen nature that prevents certain individuals from perceiving the clear will of God, and this is why they continue to do the many things which God has forbidden. If only they would abandon the vain attempt to reason their way through this and just believe, their eternal damnation would be avoided, and they could be saved.
Not to mention if they would only stop worrying and see that this time its different they could get very very rich also.
Jimbo, great links. Thanks
To me, the search for cheese clearly represents fracking … it’s nice to know that the professor supports the fossil fuel industry … this also fits with his statement that the poor are more sensitive to change as we all know that the poor are effected more by shortages of energy…
If only they acted on climate change.
“… humans … are bogged down by their unique ability to rationalize and reason.”
This obviously doesn’t apply to Raghu Murtugudden.
What a crock! Humans modify their environment, greatly reducing their need to quickly “adapt” to minor changes: clothes, fire, shelter etc! Humans have adapted their life styles to live from the Africa to the arctic and everywhere in between. We don’t fear minor changes in climate, we over come them. The real problem with this guy is that he thinks too much and very poorly at that.
Bill
I think the Professor used the wrong Rodent, he meant Lemmings, which easily describes warmists, MSM and those that believe without thinking.
Damn, you beat me to the Lemmings. So here’s my best shot: A warmist will observe that it’s been an unusually normal year for weather, and since the climate’s natural state is to be variable they will blame the normality on Climate Change
LOL, this is hilarious. So… mankind the only species able to make cheese is less adaptable to dwindling cheese supplies then a lab mouse. Just like the way mice started using medicine when it sensed disease, (often stemming from their own actions) clearly superior to how humanity responded as a species to disease. Or like that time when all the mice sensed the spring loaded mechanisms in those mouse traps that used to kill millions of mice a year and then he taught all the other mice to avoid them and they became nearly obsolete. hahahaha. This is one of the more bizarre pieces Ive seen.
“… humans … are bogged down by their unique ability to rationalize and reason.”
Oh I dunno, Ragu doesn’t appear to be so encumbered. His mice and cheese analogy is idiotic beyond words.
Prof. Murtugudden would prefer that people be lemmings.
Professor Murtugudden teaches the Dark Arts at his school. 🙂
lol. The climate kooks are confessing their pathetic misanthropy, their lack of rational thought, the lack of reason behind their obsession. This is similar to their demands that the pillars of civil society be set aside so that they can impose their will on the rest of us. So we see that the climate community is against reason, rational thought, diversity of opinion, evidence based decision making, debating or even discussing when it come to getting what they want.
What a dangerous dark and destructive area the climate movement is drifting into.
Meanwhile the climate refuses to cooperate with their fervent hopes and predictions for apocalypse.
His name is Murtugudde, without an ‘n’ at the end. If you are going to criticize someone’s work, Eric, the least you could do is spell his name correctly.
If you are going to criticize someone’s work, BillW, the least you could do is use your real name.
expansions:
Are you a man, or a mouse?
Have the courage of your convictions.
Grow a pair.
Don’t be such a douchebag.
Get back under your bridge.
Ps BillW… thanks for the heads up on the name, it is Murtugudde.)
(It’s your penchant for biting little hit and runs that is so irksome.)
Alan,
I hardly know how to respond to such a ridiculous, yet vicious attack from you. SInce my name is Bill White, I think the handle BillW is appropriate. I rarely comment on WUWT, so I’m not sure why you chose to call me out for hit and run posts. The ad hominem attacks are certainly unnecessary.
How about an apology?
BillW,
Yes, my initial response was way over the top, albeit initially accurate. I could have as easily made my point without the “expansions”. I have noticed other posts which you have made and it would not be a misstatement to say that they added to my fervor, here.
Later in this thread, you were twice given credit by me for correcting the spelling of Professor Murtugudde’s name, one immediately precedent your response.
If you are a regular reader at WUWT, then you know that we are frequently beset by anonymous hit and run trolls, who attempt to besmirch the character of others, especially when their target has made a most salient point. Some of them have then returned and demanded an apology for being called to task for their own invectives. You may have only briefly appeared to walk and talk like a duck. We’ll see…
Thanks for returning to the thread and responding, Mr. White. Come back any time.
Bringing this down from above so hopefully more will see it. It is the best summary of the pathetic professor’s argument yet:
“Paul Mackey
February 4, 2015 at 4:51 am
So the argument is – we don’t belive in CAGW becasue we think. – Can’t argue with that.
Therefore that those who do believe in CAGW don’t think! – Can’t argue with that either.
Excellent summary, Paul. Thanks.
What man eats cheese from a mouse trap? Answer: The infant professor.
Having dealt with rodent infestations and also actually studied animal behavior a bit, I can confidently state the Professor is completely off base about his assertion that animals inately know how to stay in balance with resources.
Apparently, Murtugudden has not seen the movie Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbGNcoB2Y4I … and, the mice in my house have a 97% preference for live traps baited with peanut butter to those baited with cheese.
97% of us know that; the other 3% are academia.
“Humans are constantly seeking more and more comforts, even at the cost of irreversibly damaging the planet.”
More comforts for thee is the problem.
“Less fortunate humans may, in fact, be more in tune with environmental changes and quicker to adapt, even when the changes result from over-consumption by the rich.”
The less fortunate have accepted fewer comforts, and are therefore better people.
The professor isn’t interested in the environment AT ALL. He is interested in controlling the populace, and this schtick is just a tool to hammer the public into accepting less.
“Some members of the species even resort to wholesale denial that change is well underway, even when said change is caused by their own actions.”
I see no relationship between these two thoughts. It’s gibberish.
As with most CAGW bu||$#!+ artists, he implies, by saying “denial,” that people have no right to not believe as he does. People have the right to believe anything they want to, even if what they believe is wrong. It wouldn’t be much of a right if it only allowed you to believe as others do. By saying “denial,” he has made this article a political piece, and not science.
Mice with their vaunted inate sense of what’s going on, regularly and predictably walk into traps baited with cheese and left for them by humans. Stupid is as stupid does. When it comes down to following instinct or thinking, thinking wins every time.
Indeed: who makes the trap and who is trapped. I’d rather not be a mouse.
This represents the entire University of Maryland educational system and their “teaching” of climate. This includes K-12, all community colleges and several full 4 year schools. I am no longer part of this system.
Well it’s about time some arrogant knuckle head finally put things into perspective for me. Now I understand why I venture outdoors on a sub zero day wearing my Bermuda shorts and a wool trench coat during a heatwave in July. I just can’t seem to stop over thinking!
Inaccurate analogy. You can SEE the cheese disappearing as you eat it. If you are in a maze and you have reason to suspect there’s more cheese elsewhere when this is gone, you’ll (a) either follow the maze to the cheese or (b) get some dynamite to blow down the maze, making a shortcut to the fresh cheese.
Markopanama: The earlybird gets the worm, the second mouse gets the cheese.
About the climate— so far, the indicators that HAVEN’T been doctored by the panic-peddlers indicate that there IS climate change, but it’s within the normal functions of the planet and that (1) it’s not as bad as the panic-inducers would have us believe and (2) there’s not a lot you can do about it anyway. If you really believe that changing out the old incandescent bulbs for the new compact fluorescent bulbs will save the planet, you need help.
This is a wonderful sentence from the article: “Some members of the species even resort to wholesale denial that change is well underway, even when said change is caused by their own actions.”
That the CAGW empire is collapsing under the weight of its own exaggerations and uncritical thinking is a fact lost on not the core adherents, but only the deceived and misled masses. The core adherents are already aware they are on thin ice, melting under the hot blasts of their own claims of ‘modelling expertise’ and contradicted by dozens of lines of evidence. They have no card let to play other than shooting the messenger.
“…is caused by their own actions.” Who could say it better? Perfect irony! The deliberate misrepresentation, the outright blatant lies, the calls even for the execution of those with more common sense than they have, all are own-goals scored in their desperate attempt to create an ‘industry’ through which they will ‘lead mankind’. There is nothing worse than a self-appointed saviour.
Lord, as a mercy to us all, save us from those who would save us!
Professor Murtugudden has misplaced his grey matter along with his cheese. Perhaps he should study “cAGW” induced stupidity but I doubt this is possible with missing grey matter.
So get rid of that pesky ability to think and rationalize and you too can be ah hysterical climate alarmist. It’s really that simple. I’ll have to think about it.
” humans — the most evolved life form — are bogged down by their unique ability to rationalize and reason.”
Well, that explains why humans have been so unsuccessful as a species.