as Colbert has said - they feel it in the gut and go with it.

Mars and Earth have the same temperatures they feel so it must be true.

Colbert very first The Word on his very first show.

He also once said, "Facts have a liberal bias"

way down at night. Here:

Mars is a harsh, cold world. It is much colder than Earth; but then, it is also farther from the sun. The small, barren planet also has a thin atmosphere that is 95 percent carbon dioxide.

Extreme differences

Mars's atmosphere is about 100 times thinner than Earth's. Without a "thermal blanket," Mars can't retain any heat energy. On average, the temperature on Mars is about minus 80 degrees F (minus 60 degrees C). In winter, near the poles temperatures can get down to minus 195 degrees F (minus 125 degrees C). A summer day on Mars may get up to 70 degrees F (20 degrees C) near the equator, but at night the temperature can plummet to about minus 100 degrees F (minus 73 C). Frost forms on the rocks at night, but as dawn approaches and the air gets warmer, the frost turns to vapor, and there is 100 percent humidity until it evaporates.

Mars is a harsh, cold world. It is much colder than Earth; but then, it is also farther from the sun. The small, barren planet also has a thin atmosphere that is 95 percent carbon dioxide.

Extreme differences

Mars's atmosphere is about 100 times thinner than Earth's. Without a "thermal blanket," Mars can't retain any heat energy. On average, the temperature on Mars is about minus 80 degrees F (minus 60 degrees C). In winter, near the poles temperatures can get down to minus 195 degrees F (minus 125 degrees C). A summer day on Mars may get up to 70 degrees F (20 degrees C) near the equator, but at night the temperature can plummet to about minus 100 degrees F (minus 73 C). Frost forms on the rocks at night, but as dawn approaches and the air gets warmer, the frost turns to vapor, and there is 100 percent humidity until it evaporates.

http://www.space.com/16907-what-is-the-temperature-of-mars.html

I hope that one of the Representative's constituents will Google this and send the esteemed Congressman an e-mail with the correct information and a link. Google affords us no excuse for ignorance. I hate to admit it but I did not know this until I looked it up.

What are constituents for if not to educate Congress?

They have mightily succeeded in getting Americans to distrust mainstream media sources; to regard the majority race and religion to be oppressed minorities; to view social progress as immoral; and to excuse any national depravity because they themselves are actually deceitful, racist, intolerant, self-centered, and jingoistic. At best.

Corporate take-over of education will help "catapult the propaganda" (tm GWB).

and completely misunderstooderated the sichiation.

The actual bullshit talking point is that warming trends on mars somehow invalidate human caused climate change on earth.

Now does Uranus explain colonoscopies?

Without Uranus there would be no need for colonoscopies. Clear?

That's right, YOU CAN'T!!!

Checkmate.

These stupid-shits are getting too numerous!

I don't know whether to or Or perhaps

I don't it's too much to expect some modicum of intelligence from elected "leaders."

Any takers?

Venus is hotter than Mercury even though Mercury is closer to the sun because of the greenhouse effect caused by Venus' atmosphere.

TlalocW

Pretty astounding stuff when Republicans try to use what they perceive to be "science".

These nut bags are a global embarrassment and allowing them to speak on topics as if they were experts is a national disgrace.

Goddamn it already....I WANT MY FUCKING COUNTRY BACK!!! You know the one where we lead the fucking world in bold endeavors like a national interstate highway system and space program that was not only an inspiration to mankind and a technological triumph for the ages but also a hugely successful business incubator and innovation hub (including the very company that I proudly work for today).

These assholes and the people who vote for them like goddamn lemmings going over the same fucking cliff need to be marginalized and laughed out of the big people room and sent to the kid's table to drool on themselves and play with their shit in peace without bothering the rest of us until nap time!!!!!

As it is, if he's not already a "leader" in their party, he will surely be in a key role on the Science and Technology House committee for life! UN-FUCKING-BELIEVABLE...

...how I am feeling.

Constitution needs changing to disqualify anyone who can't (still) pass a basic general knowledge test from being a politician.

Paraphrasing Marvin the Martian

well...none of the so-called "scientists" he consults with at least. They agree with him that Mars is a flat planet, too.

Republican geometry

1) Can non-scientists please stop talking about scientific matters as though their opinions in said matters mean anything at all?

and 2) Can the media stop reporting on it as though there is an actual valid debate or point to what was said? That's not balance, that's sheer lunacy.

because I love the beauty and humor of science.

Photon checks into a hotel. The clerk asks, "Do you need help with your baggage?"
Photon says, "I don't have any. I'm traveling light."

with folks talking about scientific matters, only those who insist that their uninformed opinions on said matters should carry the same weight as established scientific consensus!

Two chemists walk into a bar. The first one says, "I'll have an H2O." The second one says, "I'll have an H2O, too." Sadly, the second one died.

the debaters.

The guy's an idiot. THIS is your best and brightest, republic party?

First, the quote:

He doesn't care about the facts - just that it plays well with his base and they turn out because of him.

For starters, Mars is more than twice as far from the Sun as the Earth is so that in itself would mean it is on average considerable colder. Then factor in the atmosphere on Mars is less dense meaning that the heat cannot be held in nearly as well as on Earth so temperature ranges will be great.

And this got me to thinking Why not just check it out.

http://www.space.com/16907-what-is-the-temperature-of-mars.html

the ground has holes, asses have holes = dirty assholes.

often don't know the truth.

As long as these liars use certain code words in public their constituents think these
liars are on track.

Example: there was local politician here where I lived that had the backing of the plastic bag
industry...he kept spouting off on how recyclable grocery bags could kill you because
they are full of germs.

A simple reminder that most recyclable grocery bags can go into the washer and get all
fresh and ready for the next grocery store trip was all that was needed to shut him up.

But see, they are counting on the ignorance and apathy and the fear factor of the voters.

Tikki

That God is changing the climate cause he's mad at us.

actually figure they can HELP God by hastening on the apocalypse!

if you're gonna use a solar forcing argument you at least have to *read* what the people studying solar forcing say ...
(oh, who am I kidding)

We've got ALL the blithering dunces we can stand there already! Wait a minute! Kentucky? This is a junior Turtle! GAH - must be sumpthin' in the water there!

"...and as long as he puts corporations in charge of women's health and keeps pot illegal in Kentucky, that's fine with us. *BURP* "

So, how do we explain the heating going on there? If solar warming isn't man-made, then warming of the Earth's atmosphere can't be human caused, either. It's just plain logic.

The Sun is powered by a buttload of solar coal. That's why it's so hot, silly!

I think in academia we all agree on that. Nobody will dispute that.

Aggressive discussion perhaps but not a debate. The fact that propagandists have convinced the dreadfully unenlightened that the earth is flat AND round like a pizza does not mean there is a debate going on between us. No, we are in full on finger flipping at each other mode and by no stretch is this a debate.

shouldn't there a basic intelligence/knowledge test to hold office? like: you cannot be a complete moran.

Good job getting the look right!

they think that dinosaurs roamed the Earth with humans millions of years ago. They sound so convincing.

"We"?

Why did he come back and how can we get him to leave again? Perhaps he'd like to tell us about Venus next.

is that where they have that Noah guy museum?

according to this site (and this converter). I can't speak for whatever planet that senator Smith comes from -- birther alert?


rocktivity

"I think in academia we all agree that the temperature on Mars is exactly as it is here."???

Is "Academia" a small town in Kentucky?


(By the way, I think, at DU, we all agree that the rug he's wearing looks ridiculous!)

Now you can see why we're fucked.

And I think he needs a new wig.

Gawd do I have to think of everything around here.

closer to the outer zone but not near the outer edge. Proteins denature with heat to include the plant proteins of the producers on the food and energy pyramids.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitable_zone

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denaturation_(biochemistry)

Now we know there is oil there on Mars. Hurry, we need an appropriations and legislation bill for privatization of NASA to rocket off the necessary equipment to drill baby drill. There must be oil all over the place.

Then America can build the next generation XL-Pipeline from here to Mars. Just think of the jobs generated. Oops can’t give Obama that credit better ditch that idea, but think of the profiteering that can be done!!!

Clearly, he knows NOTHING about climate change here, and certainly LESS about the climate on Mars.

Too bad he's not a statesman, who by definition would be concerned with the needs of future generations, as well as the current one.

Nope, this fellow is definitely a politician who is MUCH more concerned about how he'll do in the next election and keeping the big money from big coal on his side.

Yep. A true-blue All-American pat-ree-ott!

He's clearly too VAPID to be in Congress!

that's all I can say.

Besides, is anyone surprised this guy is a Republican?

Last edited Tue Jul 8, 2014, 12:11 AM - Edit history (2)

In Kentucky, where coal is king, public gross stupidity on climate change can be bipartisan

Let's start a new mission! Send Brandon Smith to Mars! Can we please send the GOP and the tea party with him?

It'll be way cheaper than actually trying to convince the brain dead of the underlying errs of their ways.

p.s. we won't tell them it's actually a one-way ticket. Meh, they probably won't know the difference anyway.

talking about "our data and our constituents and stuff".

"...As you (Energy & Environment Cabinet official) sit there in your chair with your data, we sit up here in ours with our data and our constituents and stuff behind us. I don’t want to get into the debate about climate change, but I will simply point out that I think in academia we all agree that the temperature on Mars is exactly as it is here. Nobody will dispute that. Yet there are no coal mines on Mars. There are no factories on Mars that I’m aware of. ..."

What kind of academician (since that's what he's calling himself) talks about having his data and stuff? For that matter, what Senator talks about his stuff? What stuff? Did Einstein talk about his data and stuff? He sounds like he's in junior high.

Compromising with that leaves you somewhere between Oz & Bhopal.

According to his Wikipedia Article, he is not now nor ever has been an academic.

I think you should hitch a ride on the next rocket to Mars, and see for yourself!