An intellectual black hole

摘要

News items on climate change are now regularly flooded with negative online comments (see, for example, go.nature.com/ Lfigec). These tend to have certain features in common.rnThe comment writers struggle to find words that are emphatic enough to express their contempt for anthropogenic global warming and for the 97% or so of active climate scientists who accept its reality. They feel attacked, lied to and conspired against: they are intensely angry. Their comments are often pervaded by heavy sarcasm. In their view, climate scientists are not merely mistaken, but foes of truth and liberty. They see themselves as fighting a powerful enemy - a posture that can be addictive.