Friday, July 31, 2009
A revealing retronym
The Gaia "consensus" continues to fall apart. Now the American Chemical Society is facing an internal revolt against a Carbon Cult editorial in its main journal.
The article contains an interesting retronym.
Note: "An outpouring of skeptical scientists..."
At one time in the distant past, the phrase skeptical scientists would have been redundant, because Science was understood to be nothing more than formalized skepticism. If you weren't deeply skeptical about all arguments, you couldn't honestly call yourself a scientist. Now that the only "scientists" who matter are Carbon Cult fanatics, a skeptical scientist is the exception, a strange type who needs to be singled out by an adjective before he's burned for heresy.
Thus Skeptical Scientist is a retronym, like Classic Coke, Film Camera, Vinyl Record, Landline Phone, Traditional Marriage.
Retronyms pop up when the original item has been almost totally replaced by the ersatz form, but they also tell you that the original item is still alive and kicking! ¶ 3:54 PM
The article contains an interesting retronym.
An outpouring of skeptical scientists who are members of the American Chemical Society (ACS) are revolting against the group’s editor-in-chief — with some demanding he be removed — after an editorial appeared claiming “the science of anthropogenic climate change is becoming increasingly well established.”
The editorial claimed the “consensus” view was growing “increasingly difficult to challenge, despite the efforts of diehard climate-change deniers.”
Note: "An outpouring of skeptical scientists..."
At one time in the distant past, the phrase skeptical scientists would have been redundant, because Science was understood to be nothing more than formalized skepticism. If you weren't deeply skeptical about all arguments, you couldn't honestly call yourself a scientist. Now that the only "scientists" who matter are Carbon Cult fanatics, a skeptical scientist is the exception, a strange type who needs to be singled out by an adjective before he's burned for heresy.
Thus Skeptical Scientist is a retronym, like Classic Coke, Film Camera, Vinyl Record, Landline Phone, Traditional Marriage.
Retronyms pop up when the original item has been almost totally replaced by the ersatz form, but they also tell you that the original item is still alive and kicking! ¶ 3:54 PM
