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Author Topic: UCL loses second researcher this year.  (Read 13362 times)

Ice Cool Kim

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UCL loses second researcher this year.
« on: April 10, 2013, 11:33:32 PM »
Scanning the Guardian web site today, I spotted a familiar face, that of Katherine Giles.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/apr/10/british-scientist-katharine-giles-killed-cycling-accident

A couple of weeks ago I sent her an email asking for some information on Cryosat2 data.

I never got a reply. Looks like I never will now.

Apparently her boss was also killed in an accident on New Years day this year.

A sad loss and a second blow to the team at UCL.


ChrisReynolds

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Re: UCL loses second researcher this year.
« Reply #1 on: April 10, 2013, 11:43:28 PM »
It is indeed sad, very bad luck.

If they were working in Egyptology rumours would start.  :(

Neven

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Re: UCL loses second researcher this year.
« Reply #2 on: April 10, 2013, 11:54:33 PM »
It sucks big time! Laxon and Giles will be sorely missed, not just by friends and family, but scientifically speaking as well. Imagine them working for another two decades on CryoSat-related stuff.
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Neven

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Re: UCL loses second researcher this year.
« Reply #3 on: April 11, 2013, 12:16:20 AM »
Fucking hell (sorry, don't swear often on the internet), I'm looking at the BBC's report on Giles' accident. Here we have a woman cycling to work, probably because she is acutely aware of the risks of unabated AGW, trying to do her bit, and she is fucking killed by a fucking lorry, because those fucking Brits can't create fucking lorry/car-free zones and install more fucking cycling lanes, because that would be bad for fucking economic growth to spur on fucking AGW!!!

FUCK this fucking irony!!!

Time for bed before I start to cry.......
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gfwellman

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Re: UCL loses second researcher this year.
« Reply #4 on: April 11, 2013, 01:44:02 AM »
Neven, that's exactly how I feel.  There have been a few scientists and environmentalists killed cycling in the US over the years.

Ice Cool Kim

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Re: UCL loses second researcher this year.
« Reply #5 on: April 11, 2013, 02:02:24 AM »
Well I certainly would not presume to know why she chose to cycle to work. But if it was as Neven suggests, that would be the ultimate irony in view of the current state of the "unabated AGW".



TerryM

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Re: UCL loses second researcher this year.
« Reply #6 on: April 11, 2013, 03:25:51 AM »
Well I certainly would not presume to know why she chose to cycle to work. But if it was as Neven suggests, that would be the ultimate irony in view of the current state of the "unabated AGW".


The source of the graphic is "The Australian", one of Mr. Murdoch's fine newspapers. I'll give it all the consideration that I give to other "news entertainment" coming from News Corp.


Terry

Ice Cool Kim

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Re: UCL loses second researcher this year.
« Reply #7 on: April 11, 2013, 03:47:35 AM »
I'm no fan of Murdoch either. Perhaps you'd like it straight from Met Office Hadley. Though their graph is an embarrassing mess, the result is about the same.


TerryM

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Re: UCL loses second researcher this year.
« Reply #8 on: April 11, 2013, 03:59:19 AM »
If you believe them to be comparable, why not just edit out the nasty Murdoch one.  Murdoch's purpose is not to inform, but to misinform.


Terry

Ice Cool Kim

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Re: UCL loses second researcher this year.
« Reply #9 on: April 11, 2013, 04:26:19 AM »
 It seems a lot more legible to me.

What specifically is it you object to in the first one?

I may generally agree with you about Murdoch but what is wrong with that graph. I don't see any "misinformation" there , do you?

Here , I've found a more legible one from the M.O.
« Last Edit: April 11, 2013, 04:34:38 AM by Ice Cool Kim »

ChrisReynolds

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Re: UCL loses second researcher this year.
« Reply #10 on: April 11, 2013, 11:30:14 AM »
1) When you factor in the Arctic, which HAD/CRU doesn't, the recent abatement is smaller.
http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/graphs_v3/Fig.A2.gif
2) OHC continues to rise (0 to 2000m).
http://www.skepticalscience.com/levitus-2012-global-warming-heating-oceans.html
3) Foster & Rahmstorf 2011, "Global temperature evolution 1979–2010" and Kaufman et al 2011, "Reconciling anthropogenic climate change with observed temperature 1998–2008" Both show that the recent abatement of warming is due to the effects of ENSO, solar cycle, and sulphate aerosols. So arguing that this tells us anything about the models or AGW is as stupid as calling in the plumber because your central heating isn't working, only to have him advise you that having all the windows open is probably the reason your house is cold.

If you want to start a denialist thread Kim, out of respect for Dr Giles, do it with a dedicated thread.

Ice Cool Kim

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Re: UCL loses second researcher this year.
« Reply #11 on: April 11, 2013, 11:45:16 AM »
It was Neven that brought AGW politics into this thread with his foul-mouthed rant.

It is notable that no one saw fit to criticise his remarks.

It is also noted that at the same time as criticising me, you still continue to get in your own little AGW political points just before saying that you think that should be discussed elsewhere and calling for "respect". A rather contradictory position, to put it politely.

However, I agree it would be much better if this thread remained as it was intended when I started it, to note the sad loss of a young researcher who was at the heart of Arctic sea ice research.

I'm sure her family and colleges are devastated by her untimely departure. She would surely have made valuable contributions to this little corner of climate science.




« Last Edit: April 11, 2013, 12:11:39 PM by Ice Cool Kim »

Neven

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Re: UCL loses second researcher this year.
« Reply #12 on: April 11, 2013, 12:15:12 PM »
Excuse me, where did I bring politics in? Foul-mouthed rant it was, I'll concede that.

I'm going to let this one pass, ICK. If you want to discuss statistics, fine. If you want to walk the edge with that without stating what you're really after, fine too. If you start smearing Grant Foster or post disinformation graphs in a thread about someone that died, NOT fine.

Three times and you're out. I'll have no problems whatsoever blocking you, and you can go out and tell the deniosphere that those cowardly CAGW nazis banned you because they couldn't handle the discussion or the truth. This is our little echo chamber to discuss Arctic sea ice mostly, you know where most of us are coming from, so either you work with that and let my foul-mouthed rant pass, or you go find yourself a forum where they love mathturbation and word games.

With all due respect.
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ChrisReynolds

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Re: UCL loses second researcher this year.
« Reply #13 on: April 11, 2013, 12:33:15 PM »
No politics just science.

FWIW a major hero of mine recently died: Margaret Thatcher. Yes politically I was a conservative voting free-market small-government right winger. Now I have no firm politics (due to AGW and PO), just the things that keep me entertained.

The politics is in your mind.

Dr Giles' untimely death is very real.

Let the digression end here.

Ice Cool Kim

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Re: UCL loses second researcher this year.
« Reply #14 on: April 11, 2013, 02:53:21 PM »
Neven:
Quote
This is our little echo chamber to discuss Arctic sea ice mostly, you know where most of us are coming from, so either you work with that and let my foul-mouthed rant pass

Erm, I did let your rant pass. I did not even criticise you for making it. I criticised  Chris' self-contradictory attitude not your comment.

Discussing sea ice, fine. That is why I'm here. It's been mostly successful with both Chris and chandle providing useful critical input.

The fact that we may have different views on how things may develop and causes is useful. Discussing with people who only agree is generally less productive.

Despite our different outlooks things have been fairly polite and sensible, I hope that can continue to be the case.


Quote
....or post disinformation graphs ....

Now in order that I do not repeat the offence could explain where this "misinformation" is ?

I found the first graph that contains a caption "Source UK Meteorological Office" . I took that to mean it was the source of the graph , whereas in fact it may just mean it's the source of the data. I was not aware it came from The Australian (I'll take Terry's word for it) and if I had I would not have known it was a Murdoch title.

When prompted by TerryM I dug a bit further and got genuine plots directly from the Met Offices' own site. On the met office site they also show last years plot both seem to be showing exactly the same thing as was in the first one.

The met office have improved their models and updated their predictions. Good on 'em.  PIOMAS is improving, CICE is improving. That's scientific progress.

Where is the "misinformation" here ?

Jim Hunt

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Re: UCL loses second researcher this year.
« Reply #15 on: April 11, 2013, 02:53:54 PM »
"The most revolutionary thing one can do always is to proclaim loudly what is happening" - Rosa Luxemburg

Ice Cool Kim

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Re: UCL loses second researcher this year.
« Reply #16 on: April 11, 2013, 03:10:03 PM »

Neven

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Re: UCL loses second researcher this year.
« Reply #17 on: April 11, 2013, 03:11:18 PM »
ICK, this thread is about a researcher that died in a traffic accident, you know where most of us here come from, still you post that graph. That's where things go wrong. It's off-topic and provocative. As long as you can restrain yourself from doing that, we'll all be fine. Remember, this is not the WUWT forum, but the CAGW nazi/commie forum.
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Ice Cool Kim

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Re: UCL loses second researcher this year.
« Reply #18 on: April 11, 2013, 03:13:10 PM »

Hunter

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Re: UCL loses second researcher this year.
« Reply #19 on: April 11, 2013, 05:19:08 PM »
Just to get the thread back on track,

This really struck a blow to our team here in the field.  Many here including myself knew her personally.

Its been a quiet/tough time since.  We just continue to plow across greenland for science and to keep ourselves sane.  The entire community is really struggling after these events so close together.

RIP

John Batteen

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Re: UCL loses second researcher this year.
« Reply #20 on: April 11, 2013, 07:30:30 PM »
Best wishes to the family and colleagues.  This is truly tragic.  Thanks for all your contributions Katherine.  You will forever live on in the impact you have made.

Anne

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