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There already is a climate-change tracking, very advanced scientific app for iPhone:
Cow Fart CO2
I don't think the world needs anything more advanced.
iPhone devs: changing the world, one app at a time.

May 04, 09 - 05:43 pm Comment from: anaknipedro

What a waste of time. Too bad we didn't have the iPhone back during the ice age. That darn global warming, or climate change, or “our deteriorating atmosphere" killed of the mammoths. It is ridiculous at worst and precocious at best to think man can alter the globe's climate by eating beef or burning coal. Remember, that coal was once CO2 floating around naturally in the atmosphere.

What do we do when a volcano errupts and decreases global temperatures by 2 degrees for a decade? Have BHO force GM to make more Hummers to offset the cooling trend?

May 04, 09 - 05:44 pm Comment from: anaknipedro

BTW I predict 3 pages at least.

Cow Fart CO2

Forget cows. What about the flatulence of several billion humans on this planet?

Now that'd be a novel use of the motion sensor.

May 04, 09 - 05:59 pm Comment from: mike_in_helsinki

@ Climate Chager

One of the better posts I've see on the subject.

Can see Al Gore chasing behind a farting cow with an iPhone loaded with CO2 measuring capability. He slips in a global warming creating cow paddy and hits it face first.

UN launches a investigation, complete with a committee, chaired by North Korea.

@razz....interesting concept. Do you think if we could get everyone on earth to fart simultaneously and in the same direction that we could reverse the spin of the earth around its axis?

I suspect all the climate change nutbarts (pro and con) are going to have a field day here.

BTW I predict 3 pages at least.

I predict we'll be in the Second Dark Ages within 50 years, and all of this impassioned global warming debate will have been completely pointless.

....and that would be...nutbars

Nice for species cathalogue and biodiversity indeed. Now stop the damn association of climate change with everything. The world is cooling and all Gore's pocket is growing.

May 04, 09 - 06:14 pm Comment from: Randian

The Sahara Desert used to be an oasis of running water and vegetation thousands of years ago. We know that for a fact. We also know that the Great Lakes were filled with water from melting glaciers that covered the majority of northern USA and southern Canada.

Which SUV driver and coal-fired power plants caused these two massive changes over the millennia? I want to know. Somebody's head is going to roll. (And Gawd help whoever's in charge of volcanic eruptions. Congress is going to pillory him or her mercilessly with the help the iPod/iPhone, to be sure.)

End note: WON'T SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN!

Do you think if we could get everyone on earth to fart simultaneously and in the same direction that we could reverse the spin of the earth around its axis?

It...could...work!
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_note:

The concept was featured in an episode of South Park (3x17: "World Wide Recorder Concert") as a sound that caused the entire population of Earth to empty their bowels uncontrollably.

Just the right sound on the iPhone, everyone facing the correct way at just the right time....

The earth is undergoing cooling now, thanks to Saddam burning Kuwait's oil fields. (yea first everything heats up, then it cools down, it's like a mini-nuclear winter effect)

See here

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25348657-401,00.html

I think of the children - the child-like mentality of the folks we elected to CHANGE the weather! LOL

And while they are changing the weather so diligently by taxing the living snot out of everyone who makes a living wage, they can take the time to study how normal the arctic is these days, how much the planet has cooled in the last 7 years and how ticked off folks are about paying "carbon taxes" so that the Goracle can jet all over the world spewing his idiotic mantra...

I am barely a Democrat these days, and the "Climate Change Armageddon" vomit is the #1 reason why.

May 04, 09 - 06:26 pm Comment from: BC Kelly

Now, let's get this out of the way up front so we can move on ...


Please, everyone who thinks Climate Change, Global Warming, or whatever is BS, not worthy of anyone's time or energy, and something invented by Al Gore, B Obama, and Leftist Pinko Commie Bike Riding Mac Using Book Reading Hippies --

Well, go buy a PC

And take some University Level Science Courses at somewhere other than Bob Roberts College for Bubbas and Bubbettes.

The World's Climate changes - every hour, day, year, Epoc.

NOW - the task is to understand that change. We do that when we collect, compare, and analyze information - in a lucid, academic, and dispassionate fashion. Then adjust theories, assumptions, and "facts" according to that information.

Is called the Scientific Method.

Try it. Works great as a "tool" for a lot of things in Life, not just "science" - which, many probably don't know, is from a very simple Latin word - scire - to 'know'. Duh

So, IF YOU DO NOT KNOW ... then please, stfu, ty

The rest of us are busy trying to figure things out before we get to any potential curves in the road as we drive in the dark without any headlights at 85 mph.

If you're not adding to the solution, then your noise is adding to the problems.


Now we've got that out of the way, let's focus on Changing the World™


Plant leaf recognition technology ?

This has to be connected in some way to iPhoto's Face thing, yes ?

I'm no expert on these things, and know just enough to be dangerous, but ...

Sure sounds like a serious algorithm someone at Apple has built on some kind of vectorizing-doo-hicky in QuickTime, yes ?

And with a LOT of other potential applications possible up the road, yes ?

Appreciate feedback, thoughts, and discussion on THAT subject, ok ?

Thanks, BC

May 04, 09 - 06:37 pm Comment from: HMCIV

@ Randian

"The Sahara Desert used to be an oasis of running water and vegetation thousands of years ago."

I've been blaming that on Zune Tang and Ampar for years. (Their comments are timeless.)

As for cows, the greenhouse gas threat is real although it's not CO2 from them, it's methane. A single cow can produce almost as much methane as an afternoon of Sean Hannity and Anderson Cooper combined! Mock me if you want, but we may someday owe our planet to Steve Ballmer for eating all the cows.

May 04, 09 - 06:37 pm Comment from: trex67

Human-cause-for-rapid-climate-change deniers:

I realize these are Conservative Republican talking points you're regurgitating so you have that going for you. Maybe you'd like to debate evolution, too? After all, it's only a "theory," disproved by the Bible. Science-Shmience.

Mock me if you want, but we may someday owe our planet to Steve Ballmer for eating all the cows.

What happens when he's through with the cows?

What happens when all of humanity has been digested, and turned into a new master race of... Ballmers??

Let the plant warm or cool or WTF ever it's gonna do. We've got real problems to face!!

Maybe you'd like to debate evolution, too? After all, it's only a "theory," disproved by the Bible.

The Bible states that we are beings.

Evolution states we're pond scum with a series of freak mutations.

Which do you consider yourself to be?

As for climate change, our science is far too primitive, our knowledge far too limited, for us to embark on mad quests to fundamentally change our civilization.

One cannot address something one doesn't fully understand, despite the best of intentions. Let's learn then act, not the reverse.

"Maybe you'd like to debate evolution, too? After all, it's only a "theory,"..."

You sir are correct! Evolution is a theory (without the quotes), and incorrect in many ways. I assume you are trying to make a point that somehow evolution is somehow fact. Sorry to burst your bubble , it has been proven wrong in many ways. best example is that Darwin believed that changes were slow but more or less constant. Wow, he missed that one by a mile. Not a terrible theory, not always wrong, but wrong it is. Foxes were bred by Russians as an experiment and in just a few generations major changes occurred, domesticated to wild beyond belief in no time at all. Darwin was entitled to his theory, but has since been proven wrong in many of his theories.

So, you sit there and suggest that no one should doubt MAN MADE global warming using Darwin as "proof" that theories can not be doubted?

You are a laugh

wow, all this discourse on anti global warming; it makes me think that mac users are evolving from commie pinkos to right wing conservatives, could this be true?

@ Zero Sum

"The Bible states that we are beings. Evolution states we're pond scum with a series of freak mutations. Which do you consider yourself to be?"

Show me the scientific basis behind the Bible's claims. Oh that's right, there are none whatsoever. The Bible is not a rigorous, peer reviewed scientific publication. It's a book of fairy tales that nut jobs believe was written by an all powerful, omnipotent, jealous, vindictive mass murder who hates the people "He" himself supposedly created. Tell me precisely why I should believe even a single word that's written down in that joke of a book.


"As for climate change, our science is far too primitive, our knowledge far too limited, for us to embark on mad quests to fundamentally change our civilization."

Completely wrong. Your mind is too primitive to grasp the incredibly complex science we use every day to measure and predict natural phenomena. Just because you didn't understand high school physics class doesn't mean there isn't someone who did.


"Let's learn then act, not the reverse."

We already have learned. You just refuse to accept the knowledge. You should go join the flat earth society, they'd welcome you with open arms.

@ "trex67 = smart a$$"

"So, you sit there and suggest that no one should doubt MAN MADE global warming using Darwin as "proof" that theories can not be doubted? You are a laugh."

Newsflash: gravity is a theory as well. So is the atomic theory. Why aren't you doubting those? I'll tell you why. Because you right wingers like to pick and choose the scientific theories that you personally believe are wrong in order to avoid the extreme cognitive dissonance that results from having your belief system obliterated by harsh reality.

Time to wake up and face the cold facts. You don't get to pick and choose when to "believe" science and when not to. Science is about explaining reality. You can disbelieve gravity all you want, it won't make a lick of difference. If you drop a pencil it will fall to the ground, no matter how much you protest.

Suck it up and admit you're wrong so we can move on with our civilization.

May 04, 09 - 09:11 pm Comment from: Big Al

@ Cow Fart Boys,

I hate to burst your bubble, so to speak, but cow farts are predominately methane, CH4.

May 04, 09 - 09:47 pm Comment from: Think

@Rob

"...in that joke of a book."

You know how historians figure out how credible books are?
They Look at other books over that same period and hundreds of years after that to see if they reference the book in question. If so, it helps build proof that the book in question is indeed real and gives weight to it's importance at that time.

One of the most referenced books of all time is Shakespeare's. Now most people in the world would know that, and would hardly argue the significance of his works.

Most college professors would concur that Shakespeare's works are of utmost importance.

Did you know there is one book that is referenced more than Shakespeare? The Bible.

May 04, 09 - 09:49 pm Comment from: Anonymous©

It's not cow fart CO2 we have to worry about, it's cow burp methane CH4 that we have to worry about. Methane gas is far more deleterious to the atmosphere than CO2. And, methane is produced in copious quantities by milk cows. Weird, but true.

May 04, 09 - 09:54 pm Comment from: Big Al

Rob,

We have not learned all we need to know about all the factors that govern earthly climate change. There are so many factors to study.

The Sun and it's cycles through time. The factors encountered in earth's orbit around the sun. The factors encountered in the sun's orbit around the galaxy. The role of vegetation on land and in the oceans and what happens when the amount of vegetation increases or decreases.

The role of CO2 and CH4 (methane) in the atmosphere from animals and volcanoes and what happens when that increases and decreases. The role of water vapor in the atmosphere and how climate changes when water vapor increases or decreases in various parts of the world.

The role of the ocean currents and what factors change their directions and how those changes effect climate change. The jet stream in the atmosphere and what governs it's permutations.

Last but not least, when all the other natural causes of climate change are understood, we can look at man made factors, with some level of understanding, and see if Man has had any influence at all on climate change.

I think the systematic, world wide destruction of the tropical rain forests actually have changed the climate.

Nice try Rob. The difference between the theory of man caused global warming and the law of gravity is that there is no evidence to suggest gravity as we define it is not a law of nature. That is why it is called a law, not a theory. On the other hand, there is plenty of reason to suggest that man's current effect on the climate is miniscule compared to the larger factors like ocean currents, the Earth's magnetic field, and cycles of solar radiation. The problem with you is that you only accept data that supports your theory. Real scientists question everything until they reach an explanation that incorporates all the data. Currently, there is is way too much contradicting data to mandate a gross overhaul of the whole world's economic system.

May 04, 09 - 10:08 pm Comment from: Think

@ Rob

"Newsflash: gravity is a theory as well. So is the atomic theory. Why aren't you doubting those?"

Well, Rob I think gravity was proved. Jump out of a tree and see what happens.

As to atomic theory, go ask anyone in Japan, they'll let you know about atomic theory.

What I don't like, and the vast majority of Americans don't like, is the government making massive changes to our life and well-being based on a theory that has yet to be proved and is being disproved by many scientists who are not scared into cow-towing the UN party line.

God help the sane people that want to discuss this and get called deniers or worse. Last time I checked a good healthy debate is in order on prime time, every network under the scrutiny of millions of Americans. Prove your point there and be prepared.

But nooooo, Global Warming Alarmists don't want debate, they just want to cut off oil and coal. Who is making money then? You might want to check in will Mr. Al Gore and his Jet plane. I think he stands to make quite a bit of $$ with this whole scare.

@ Think

"You know how historians figure out how credible books are? They Look at other books over that same period and hundreds of years after that to see if they reference the book in question. If so, it helps build proof that the book in question is indeed real and gives weight to it's importance at that time. One of the most referenced books of all time is Shakespeare's. Now most people in the world would know that, and would hardly argue the significance of his works. Most college professors would concur that Shakespeare's works are of utmost importance. Did you know there is one book that is referenced more than Shakespeare? The Bible."

I'm absolutely floored by the stupidity of that analogy. It's difficult to know where to begin to respond.

You completely misunderstood my criticism of the Bible. I have no argument whatsoever that the Bible is well referenced and significant. My claim is that the Bible is a work of fiction. It is of zero value in describing or predicting natural phenomena. Many fictional tales are well referenced, including Shakespeare, Star Wars, and Harry Potter. Using the Bible as a basis for a theory about the way the earth is or came to be is equivalent to using Star Wars to claim that the earth was created by ten Jedi. They both have equal scientific validity; that is to say, zero.

There is no doubt that the Bible is "indeed real." All books of fiction that have been published are "real." They're physical books that were written down with ink on paper. But in no way does that make their stories true. The fact that many people have seen and referenced a certain work does not suddenly make that work any less fictional. "The Force" in Star Wars is no more real now than it was before $1 billion in box office ticket sales. It's simply irrelevant.

@ Big Al

"I think the systematic, world wide destruction of the tropical rain forests actually have changed the climate."

What you think is irrelevant because you don't publish in the field of climatology. You have no experimental or observational data to back up your claims so they have zero validity. Go spend six years getting a PhD in climatology, get some research published in a peer reviewed journal, and then you'll have an informed opinion that I'll respect. Until then, you're just rambling on a website.


@ anaknipedro @ think

"The difference between the theory of man caused global warming and the law of gravity is that there is no evidence to suggest gravity as we define it is not a law of nature. That is why it is called a law, not a theory."

"Well, Rob I think gravity was proved. Jump out of a tree and see what happens. As to atomic theory, go ask anyone in Japan, they'll let you know about atomic theory."


You people are dead wrong. You clearly don't know what a scientific theory is. When I refer to the theory of gravity, I'm referring to general relativity, published by Einstein. It's a theory that explains why objects fall when you drop them. Go look it up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Relativity
http://www.bringyou.to/apologetics/p67.htm

Jumping out of a tree doesn't "prove" this theory any more than detonating an atomic bomb "proves" atomic theory. Such events are simply more hard evidence that helps confirm them. Theories can't be "proved" (sic), they can only be disproven or shown to be limited in applicability. There is no evidence that disproves Einstein's theory of gravitation, and a ton of evidence to suggest it's correct. Similarly, there is no evidence that disproves the theory of global warming; if there was, it wouldn't be a scientific theory.

While I'm educating you, here's a primer on what "theory" means in the scientific sense:

Some scientific explanations are so well established that no new evidence is likely to alter them. The explanation becomes a scientific theory. In everyday language a theory means a hunch or speculation. Not so in science. In science, the word theory refers to a comprehensive explanation of an important feature of nature supported by facts gathered over time.

A scientific theory is a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of facts that have been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experiment. Such fact-supported theories are not "guesses" but reliable accounts of the real world. The theory of biological evolution is more than "just a theory." It is as factual an explanation of the universe as the atomic theory of matter or the germ theory of disease. Our understanding of gravity is still a work in progress. But the phenomenon of gravity, like evolution, is an accepted fact.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_theory

May 05, 09 - 12:02 am Comment from: Always Right

Yeah, why IS this sight such a wing-nut magnet?
Especially now, when only 1 in 5 people chose to identify themselves as republicans.

@ grob @ Always Right

Yeah it's pretty strange. I thought Mac users would generally be smarter. Maybe it's just the 21% who are actually posting comments. The rest are reasonable people who know that we so thoroughly dominated the election there's no need to even acknowledge the lunatic fringe right. Still, the utter stupidity of some of these comments compels me to speak.

In the interest of enjoying other human beings (even those I may disagree with), I've become quite adept at listening and considering discourse across the entire spectrum of beliefs - pro-choice, pro-life, open the border, close the border, raise taxes, lower taxes, etc. You get the picture. However, open minded and accepting though I try to be, I am constantly forced to battle the constantly reinforced impression that there is nothing in the Western world more tedious (and unsettling) than the global warming pontificators. How can human beings be so self-righteously convinced of their own wisdom and brilliance (and everyone else's stupidity) that they feel compelled to assail people with their belief structure anywhere and anytime, and with such utter arrogance and disdain for those who think differently.

Many people who have made climate change their life study are conflicted on if it is happening, and if it is, the reasons for it. How does one or two lower level college science classes and serial viewing of "An Inconvenient Truth" enable you to pronounce pronounce judgement on the subject, mandate that "the debate is over," and label all who would disagree with you as "deniers." What a dangerously intolerant mindset; one that causes many of us around you to wonder what human rights you would comfortably trample to enforce YOUR belief structure. It's rather ironic, given the tone of many of the posts here, that this is largely a board of Mac users - a company whose most famous slogan is "Think Different." For many of the global warming zealots, it appears that buying the Mac and defining yourself as part of the Apple culture came quite easy, but exhibiting actual tolerance of others who do Think Different is well beyond your comfort zone.

May 05, 09 - 10:13 am Comment from: Captain Pat

The amazement of the world around us and the fear of death are such primal drivers in our minds that we sometimes loose sight of what is important to us. We use faith to qualm our fears of death and we use science to help us understand the world around us.

We get ourselves in trouble when we allow one to become more important than the other.

Stay in balance, but try to gain something from those times in your life where the scale tilts to one side or the other.

Deal with that queasy feeling of realizing that someday our sun will blowup (Hey, it's a theory!) and end all of the debates. Relish in the moment when a new born child first opens their eyes and looks deep inside you.

What you believe is what you have chosen to believe. Sometimes, we try to validate our ideas through research and study. We experiment, we test. Other times, we just chose to believe because we feel it is the right thing to do or even more simply because we want to.

Come on, you've got to admit that the biggest problem in front of us now is how to safely travel faster than the speed of light. Right now science says we can't do it, but faith wants to believe we can.

Oh yeah, and I want to take my iPod with me when we go.

The weather is beautiful today, and I am spending it with my kids, peanut butter, and a football.

@Always Right:
"Yeah, why IS this sight such a wing-nut magnet?"

Out of site, out of mind.

Grob - You need to relax a bit. And maybe get a dog or something. Cuz right now, you're not helping our team.

This article created a lot of posts regarding something completely different, i.e. climate changes and what could be the cause, creationist versus evolution, plain stupid!

Think about what this app could be used to if it can be used by a layman! I think it would be very useful when being out in a forrest or somewhere else and I or my daughter would like to know what tree or plant is that? By taking a photo I could have it identified in an instant! Don't you think that would be great?

Instead of seeing the greatness in the app, most here sink down to various low levels of argument on matters that is discussed more serious on nature.com.

BTW. I'm concerned about man's impact on climate and I'm been working in the oil and gas industry for more than 30 years. Further, oil and gas deposits can only be explained by evolution.