Always entertaining, though his science left a little to be desired. (Though at least his stories had a more than a nod to science...!)

I just knew him as an author - I hadn't realized he was also responsible for ER and that he directed Westworld - a multi-talented man.

Too young. And I miss having someone who understood science and how research is funded able and willing to take on the political science types who wouldn't know scientific method from method acting.

But didn't he write a novel that basically denied that global warming was an issue or something like that? I enjoyed some of his earlier novels.

Yes, Sarah, yes he did. Your point?

Chris

IÂve spent some time thinking about how to respond to your question. I admit I was taken aback by your tone, as you were apparently upset by my comment. If thatÂs the case, I apologize. I didnÂt mean to disparage Mr. Crichton; he was a great storyteller. Although as Martin mentioned, and as many scientists have said, his science wasnÂt always totally accurate. He was, however, writing fiction, so he should be given lots of leeway.

IÂm not a scientist myself, although I do know the difference between the scientific method and method acting. Actually, come to think of it, IÂm not real sure what method acting is. IÂm certainly not an expert on global warming, either, and I only know what I read about it. I know that many excellent scientists do now agree that global warming does exist and that humans do play a part in that. I understand that not everyone in the scientific community shares that belief, though.

Regarding CrichtonÂs book "State of Fear," I actually never read it because, based on the reviews, I didnÂt feel it was something I would enjoy reading. So I canÂt really comment about the book itself. I guess what I didnÂt say in my comment, but what I feel, is that if there is the remotest possibility that humans are worsening global warming, and if there is anything that we can do to slow down or reverse that process, than we should be promoting that. ThatÂs all that I meant by that comment.

Vicki (Sarah)

State of Fear was not a good novel, but Crichton made some very good points about the flaws in the anthropogenic global warming models and the entire approach to it. You do know that the cool kids are calling it "global climate change" now because the data showing the resent significant rise in temp was shown to result from computational error? We can discuss it further if you like. I have done modeling of complex thermal hydraulic systems and benchmarked those models, so I can discuss to some extent the vastly more complex modeling of the atmosphere where there is very little benchmarking available. I've run an environmental monitoring program, complete with an honest to goodness meteorological station, and know what it takes to get good data and interpret it. I've also funded studies at various universities around the area and know how the system works. They know they can get grants to study climate change as long as they can keep us all worked up about it. Maybe there is something to it, but the data to date doesn't even come close to justifying the major changes to the economy demanded by some of the hysterics.

Not sure if you're still reading this, Chris, but just the other day my husband said to me that this is the very reason he doesn't often pick up Scientific American anymore (he used to be a loyal subscriber). He got tired of the attention they give to the global warming hysteria.

Anyway... back to Crichton. I've only read two books by him, The Terminal Man and The Andromeda Strain back in the 70s. I remember them as page turners. I don't think I've ever watched an entire episode of ER.

I enjoyed ER when it first came out but then they started having too many helicopter crashes and other huge calamities that it got a bit silly in the end.

Still am a fan of George Clooney and Dr. Green though....

:-)

I gave up on ER years ago, although I hear this is a good season.

GeorgiaPeach, thanks. There really are a lot of informed people out there who do not agree on any concensus of man-made global warming. Just last month the GISS reported that October, which saw record lows all over the US, was the hottest October, planet-wide, on record. When sceptics examined the surprising data it was discovered that the goverment used September's temperatures from Russia. This is one of the many reasons I have little confidence in the leaders of this new religion of Global Warming. Information that agrees with their theories are too good to check.

I hope he is not remembered for ER, which I have never seen. I liked Timeline and The Jurassic Park novels if not the movies.