A while back I was researching the evidence for evolution. It’s not that I didn’t initially believe in evolution or understand natural selection, but it’s just that I didn’t really understand the full breadth of the evidence and predictions that the theory makes. Before, I had a tendency to simply assert that “the evidence is overwhelming” in discussions without really going into detail.
When I began researching evidence, I had a few choices. I could just read basic surface arguments that I found on the internet, such as this article from Khan academy or the Wikipedia page. While these resources are valuable, they aren’t very comprehensive, and don’t appear like they’d convince a hard-nosed skeptic. There are popular books, such as Jerry A. Coyne’s Why Evolution Is True and Richard Dawkins’ The Greatest Show on Earth. The last two sources left me feeling like I still wasn’t getting the full story, since they assumed a beginner background in philosophy and science, and weren’t as nuanced as I wanted them to be (although I did not read both of them cover to cover).
Eventually I stumbled across 29+ Evidences for Macroevolution: The Scientific Case for Common Descent by Douglas Theobald, which exceeded my expectations, and satisfied my desire to understand the evidence for common descent. While this last work does not assume the reader is a professional biologist, it also doesn’t shy away from presenting specific technical evidences and the context they play in modern biology.
I wonder whether there is a similar publication which can satisfy my desire to understand anthropogentic climate change. My prior is that climate change is real, and primarily caused by human activity. I believe this because I generally side with the scientific consensus, and most intelligent people I know believe it. However, I am a little embarrassed from the fact that I couldn’t really convincingly argue with a skeptic. I imagine a highly educated climate change skeptic like Roy Spencer could argue circles around me, which is never a good sign.
In light of the previous discussion, what are the best resources for understanding the full breadth of evidence for anthropogenic climate change?
[Question] What are the best resources for examining the evidence for anthropogenic climate change?
A while back I was researching the evidence for evolution. It’s not that I didn’t initially believe in evolution or understand natural selection, but it’s just that I didn’t really understand the full breadth of the evidence and predictions that the theory makes. Before, I had a tendency to simply assert that “the evidence is overwhelming” in discussions without really going into detail.
When I began researching evidence, I had a few choices. I could just read basic surface arguments that I found on the internet, such as this article from Khan academy or the Wikipedia page. While these resources are valuable, they aren’t very comprehensive, and don’t appear like they’d convince a hard-nosed skeptic. There are popular books, such as Jerry A. Coyne’s Why Evolution Is True and Richard Dawkins’ The Greatest Show on Earth. The last two sources left me feeling like I still wasn’t getting the full story, since they assumed a beginner background in philosophy and science, and weren’t as nuanced as I wanted them to be (although I did not read both of them cover to cover).
Eventually I stumbled across 29+ Evidences for Macroevolution: The Scientific Case for Common Descent by Douglas Theobald, which exceeded my expectations, and satisfied my desire to understand the evidence for common descent. While this last work does not assume the reader is a professional biologist, it also doesn’t shy away from presenting specific technical evidences and the context they play in modern biology.
I wonder whether there is a similar publication which can satisfy my desire to understand anthropogentic climate change. My prior is that climate change is real, and primarily caused by human activity. I believe this because I generally side with the scientific consensus, and most intelligent people I know believe it. However, I am a little embarrassed from the fact that I couldn’t really convincingly argue with a skeptic. I imagine a highly educated climate change skeptic like Roy Spencer could argue circles around me, which is never a good sign.
In light of the previous discussion, what are the best resources for understanding the full breadth of evidence for anthropogenic climate change?