Does technology create disaster? No, but why don’t climate statisticians have heartburn?

Paul Kedrosky crunches the numbers and finds that there were less than 3,000 seismographs deployed in 1932, and more than 23,000 in 2007. His conclusion:

Combine the preceding with the fact that the number of seismographs worldwide grew from under 350 to over 4,000 during the same period — an 11-fold increase — and you have all the proof any sober-minded person could need: Seismographs cause earthquakes.

Of course, there’s some humor in that. Unfortunately, it’s not quite as funny when it comes to surface stations and temperature warming.

I recently read a study on western rivers and trout (.pdf) stating in no uncertain terms that regional temperatures over the last decade were significantly higher that 20th century averages. I love western rivers and I love trout - plainly and simply, if they didn’t exist I probably wouldn’t live where I live. But I’ve just got to ask…

How does the number of surface temperature stations deployed by or on behalf of the United States Historical Climatology Network over the same period effect that data? And, how does the apparently woeful condition and sometimes absurd positioning of those stations play into the mix? According to an independent, volunteer organized survey of those stations (which, by the way, has covered roughly 44% of all existing stations so far), the data could be “toast”.

LIke I said - not a laughing matter.

Hell = golf course

From betting on the game when the other team doesn’t show…
• Bridgewater Associates say financial losses from the credit meltdown will hit $1.6 trillion. That means we’re just a few pitches into the second inning in this mess. (h/t Paul Kedrosky)
• In 2008, autumn seems to be coming early (and looking a lot like 1987). I’ve mentioned this already.
• Retailers won’t be able to hide rising prices in the revenue line forever - consumer spending is invariably linked to the housing market. (h/t Calculated Risk)

From pointing fingers is old hat, and old hats fit nicer than new ones…

• European politicians are conflicted over how to deal with bloggers. Might I suggest they send a patsy to quiet them down?
• Some social networks are having trouble monetizing their traffic. Forget the problem of short attention spans amongst teenagers - blame Google.
• Global warming hysteria has a new friend, the plasma TVs everyone bought with their second mortgage loan.

And from technology is my oyster, now give it a sniff before you eat it…

• How does a thriving technology company morph itself into General Motors? Become extremely bureaucratic about minutia. ADDED: Make sure that minutia is completely irrelevant too.
• Voicemail is dead. I agree, not because of fabulous web services, but something much simpler - caller id and internal phone contact lists.
• Email is in trouble too? I’ll agree with that as well, but not because of the newfangled services that exist today. Too few people are ever going to want their communication publicized, and too many are shifting platforms for Outlook to be a long term handicap. Someone is going to rise to the occasion for the mainstream user.

I neither agree nor disagree with the prevailing opinion, but…

If you want to create a weekend climate change frenzy, here is the recipe:

Mix one part Drudge Report headlines…

With two cups of red lettering. Make sure that said headlines specifically related to the Washington, D.C. area. Let simmer.

And throw out the fact that half the US is running abnormally cool.

I’m pretty sure someone will use this recipe for the coming weekend.