leicsmac

Science communication is a damned tricky thing right now, and this is one of the key reasons why. The "deficit model" of communication is clearly ineffective, so other methods have to be used. That all being said, as time ticks by I am growing increasingly frustrated with people placing their own short term self interest over the future of our entire civilisation, species, and life on Earth in general. NB. Feel free to contribute in the dedicated CC thread if you want to.

That is, apparently, the way things are now. Brave new world, huh?

Right. People viewing this in a vacuum rather than relative to situations and other people is rather frustrating - it's incredibly lazy.

Just making sure that ones that don't think there's a problem at all from having any kind of political power would be a start.

Anyone else considering just how messed up things are when there is serious discussion on this forum and other fora in the UK about air conditioning becoming a necessity rather than a luxury?

Well, that's just grim.

Something of an entertaining counterattack here. You'd think the music will stop at some point, though.

Well, that's that.

462 it is, then. Nominal.

Looks to be the case. Another 50 odd time after lunch and declare. 500 off 135ish.

I'm talking mostly in general, but to refer to a key critical area as an example, scientific matters that are empirically proven becoming matters of opinion among people, which then leads to policy and action based on such things being treated as opinion rather than fact. The amount of harm caused by people choosing to ignore scientific fact in areas where it really matters has resulted in a level of harm that is already massive, and if taken into the future, may become absolute and incalculable. The "death of expertise", and the reduction of fact to matters of opinion, harms everyone. The Internet has done a great thing in bringing a lot of like minded people together. This, however, is the dark side of it.

Again, I agree about the calibre (or lack thereof) of those people mentioned, but thankfully they haven't been able to make their attitude the problem of nearly so many people as the leading US lights right now. Degrees of power matter, sadly. It is unfair about the generalisations being made, I agree there too, but I also understand exactly why they are being made. The US team in general certainly look good and as you say, they appear to be taking football seriously and with the resources they have it is clearly beginning to bear fruit. I think a QF against a truly top team will be as far as it goes, though.

An opinion about opinions: Quite possibly the most destructive result of the Internet and social media becoming ubiquitous is that it has encouraged almost everything to be a matter of opinion or debate - even those things that are clearly defined, need-to-be-acted-upon matters of fact. The advent of AI is only furthering this uncertainty. Some things are not matters of debate. Treating them as such only ends badly, and harmfully.

Also, humidity consistently above 50%. Ugh.

I actually think that unless NZ bat until tea, the draw remains out of the equation. With the way England score and given the amount of time remaining (barring weather interruptions), if they're put on with a target of 500 off 135 overs or somesuch, they'll either make it (practically impossible), or be bowled out (practically certain).

Possibly some overlap with the folks who think football should only be tribal and therefore travelling fans should be feared, rather than popular.

I unreservedly agree, but the problem is that in this case, the obnoxious asswipes are in charge and making it the direct or indirect problem of almost every other human being on the surface of this Earth. Believe me, I've spent time in the US, and some of the people I've met there have been the most genuinely lovely and brilliant people I've had the pleasure of meeting, but rightly or wrongly, in the current climate, blowback and generalisations are going to be made across all areas of international interaction, including sport. All of this being said, this US team is going to take a big name (possibly Spain in a QF?) to put them in jeopardy, I think. Poch has them playing well.

This again, unfortunately.

Mexico are a possible last 16 opponent for England if they both win their groups. England will play a 3rd placed team in the last 32 if they win their group.

Can see an argument for the offside goal being given either way, it comes down to whether the two players who were off were interfering with play as the third guy scored, and that's subjective. But, in any case, the US are good value for their lead, they've made all the running. As per above, it will remain to be seen what will happen when they play a team that actually has talent and knows what they're doing (possibly QF onwards).

We'll see what happens when they play a team that's actually any good. But it does look like it will take a team like that to put them out.

Two players were offside, but apparently not interfering with play. The scorer was on.

Well, they'll likely have to do it again here in a 4th innings.

Poch teaching both solid defensive and fluid attacking team performance and Spursy dark arts when the tackles fly in to this team, then. Been all USA so far though.