Arguments
Talkin bout the Skeptical Science phone apps
Posted on 7 August 2010 by John Cook
Just a few months ago, we brought out a Skeptical Science app for Nokia phones, thanks to Jean-Francois Barsoum who used the Ovi App Wizard. Nokia have just announced that our app is one of the 10 finalists in the Calling All Innovators competition. The winner is the app that gets the most downloads by August 31 so if you're a Nokia user, be sure to download the Nokia app (and let your Nokia friends know about it).
While we're on the subject of apps, I've just published an article in the UK Guardian today - talking about the iPhone, Nokia and Android apps, the results I've received from iPhone reports over the past 6 months and also commenting on the new skeptic iPhone app, Our Climate. Knowing the vigorous discussion that happens on the Guardian website, I'd love to keep up with the comments but it's pushing 1:30am here in Australia so I'm just going to have to wake up to the comment storm in the morning.
Lastly, Joe Romm just published a gracious post about our Android app which is much appreciated. Reading through the comments, I've just learnt that apparently you can install the iPhone app by scanning some image with your phone - first I've ever heard of this.
And as for buying by scanning, that is on both Android and iPhone now. Has been for a while, too.
He feels his apps are doing better than your apps (now, he would say that, wouldn't he) and thanks you for the boost you're giving him.
He does defend you against one of his more feral posters saying:
REPLY: I don’t think he’s a ‘dimwit’ by any means, and it’s really not a label you should be using. He’s just not very good at understanding mass media and communications, like most scientists. – Anthony
It's a bit of backhanded compliment - your (non-carbon) footprint's getting bigger and your site's become a serious contender in the blogosphere.
As it very deservedly should be (and has been for some time).
"I don't think he's a dimwit"
Anthony Watts
So in this case, the mountain in fact came to Mohammed (or would Matthew 21: 21 be the more appropriate quote?)
Either way, an outbreak of decency is always a good result.
At the moment the massed hoards (duo) of watts staffers seem intent on guiding the debate on the Guardian piece towards a sales drive marketing opportunity for their app.
It would be nice to see a quality debunking on a 10 point basis to their Top 10 points. It just gets to be very tedious watching them lead some of the more sober Guardian posters on a not so merry dance?
One feature I would like to emphatically request would be something along the lines of a quiz that delved from the top level of your one-line rebuttal list into more detail with later stages. I've noticed that it's hard for regular people who have really examined the scientific basis on AGW to recall counter arguments in conversation because they are quite often trying to formulate an explanation rather than attain a rhetorical win. I feel like a sort of multiple choice test within the app would really add a lot of value, something people could use to become familiar with the vast array of denial arguments and how they relate to the established research so they aren't surprised and shut down when someone brings out a specious yet convincing-sounding talking point.
In a water cooler debate, it's really not going to convince anyone if you have to go back to the computer or check your app to make a response. People who care about this issue should have a certain level of retention of the facts. Hopefully that would lead to greater confidence in their ability to speak what they know to be true and bring about more debate without science based arguments being derailed by esoteric pinpricking.
Great job on the site and the apps!
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Superseded by Our Climate
(3 out of 5 stars)
by James Mann Schneider - Version 1.1.0 - Aug 6, 2010
It was a relatively good idea to bring the climate change arguments to an iPhone. But this particular app is extremely buggy, crashes all the time, and contains numerous mistakes.
IT professionals and top climate scientists have now improved John Cook's project and developed a much better application called "Our Climate" which contains lots of quizzes, charts, polls, besides dozens of concise articles about all aspects of the climate and its drivers.
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Simply incredible and deeply revealing about the ethics of denialism. For those not familiar with it, "Our Climate" is prominently featured on wattsupwiththat.com
OurClimategate, as far as I'm concerened.