Fox "News" guest predicts major North American quake imminent based on moon cycle.

[RandySF]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZM5j_FgymE

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Lord protect us from the woo

[MedicalAdmin]

19. I really dislike that term.

It's descriptive, but more so of those that use it in place of rational discourse. Honestly, it's completely beneath you.

[Skidmore]

25. I don't even know what it means...

so I can't like or dislike it.

[Godhumor]

26. Disparaging term to refer to non-scientifically sound theories

Includes things such as religion as explanation, astrology, fortune telling, giving "life" to inanimate objects, any junk science, etc.

[SpiralHawk]

30. Basically, 'woo' is a way Fundie Materialists sneer at anything they are unable to grok

[Godhumor]

31. The problem has always been there is a significant gap between belief and evidence n/t

[KittyWampus]

38. And people who leap to conclusions based on bias w/o checking primary sources. Like You.

You obviously didn't listen to the interview and what was actually said.

[MedicalAdmin]

46. We hear it all the time in medical circles.

I have seen our medical director flay other docs alive when they use that term WITHOUT looking at the evidence.

The problem is that the term "woo" is thrown about without actually looking at evidence. It is an anti-scientific appelation that CAN be, but too often is not applied to scienctifically indefensible positions. We see this all the time with lots of docs who seem to take the side of insurance companies, the logic being ( I guess) that if the insurarnce companies won't pay for it, then they won't do it, and if they won't do it, then there must be no evidence supporting it, or at the very least it must be "woooooooooooooo."

Its lazy and it's an appeal to authority and it's attacking the messenger rather than the message. And so, no, I don't like it and I have limited respect for those who use it. It is beneath the dignity of many who should know better.

[Hardrada]

2. Obama should not have bombed the moon!

See what might happen?

[fishwax]

4. well, we can't say we warned

:)

[Baclava]

41. The revenge of the Moon People?

THEY caused all this?

[Hardrada]

54. It's a good theory anyway!

:-)

[pinboy3niner]

3. Well, just tell Beck to stop mooning

You can't explain that. :evilgrin:

[Maru Kitteh]

5. My fish-brained BIL who wears a magnet to protect himself from arthritis will probably eat that up.

[Brother Buzz]

6. Not this idiot again

Jim Berkland is the Sylvia Browne of science.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

7. My first memory of Bill O'Reilly is from the New Madrid Earthquake Panic of 1990

He was hosting Inside Edition at the time and they were pushing this crackpottery every night:
http://www.semo.edu/sepr/programming/ay_episodes_21304.htm

He breathlessly scared people in Missouri, Illinois and Ky. . that that they were going to be nailed by the big one. I lived on the WV/Ky border at the time and people were freaking out.

Bill O'Reilly: Proudly frightening rural seniors for two decades

[proud2BlibKansan]

21. So you don't believe the New Madrid fault is a threat?

Scientists would disagree with you. Lots of reasons to criticize Billo but this wouldn't be one.

[JDPriestly]

8. We shall see.

I'm not sure what year it was, but I recall that on the day of one of the earthquakes here in LA, I woke up early, went outside and noticed that an opossum had somehow managed to climb up a steep stairs to an upstairs apartment at my neighbor's house. It seemed very odd to me.

Still, Berklund's theory sounds a bit farfetched.

I have, however, recently begun planting seeds around the full moon with more success than when I planted at other times. The theory is that the full moon draws the moisture in the soil to the surface. It might just be coincidence that my seedlings have done better with this planting rhythm.

What I am wondering is what made Berklund decide that Southern California might be the location of an earthquake at this time.

[k2qb3]

10. M-O-O-N, that spells moon! n/t

[SpiralHawk]

16. Planting by the Moon is an ancient and venerable approach

..though there is more to it, depending on the nature of the seeds you are planting and the phase of the moon.

[JDPriestly]

53. Yes. I don't plant vegetables like carrots or beets that

grow under the earth. I am in California, and I am trying to build soil -- composting, etc. Just a few inches down, I have solid clay. It is so solid that it looks like rocks when you dig it up.

[pulledpork]

9. Damn

Going to need even more milk.

[deacon]

15. lol!

[PufPuf23]

oops. How did that happen?

[PufPuf23]

11. In all seriousness this guy is a nutter. nt

[sakabatou]

12. *facepalm*

[deacon]

13. I never do anything without first checking my lucky astrology mood ring. n/t

[RadiationTherapy]

14. Why is this 'woo'?

Is it not gravity and geology and tidal physics?

[JanMichael]

17. if it's the same guy I saw, his prediction had nothing to do with astrology

some DUers insist on seeing the words "prediction" and "moon" and thinking "woo woos..."

[SpiralHawk]

22. "You didn't laugh when I was in action." - Ronald Reagan's Dead Republicon Astrologer*

"In fact, you libs were just aghast that my amazingly accurate StarGazing & excruciatingly excellent timing advice helped make Ronnie so blitheringly successful in advancing the RepubliCorp agenda. So you all can just go pound stardust. Neener, neener, neener."

- Ronald Reagan's Dead Republicon Astrologer*


* Courageously channeled by the intrepid SH from the vast netherworld of darkside Republicon occultism.

[Godhumor]

23. "Woo" because the moon is not a cause of earthquakes

And the associated Super Moon bunk is associated primarily with astrologers.

Moreover, I think there is just a frustration that people are getting on media to talk about, well, lies and are being given credibility for doing so.

[RadiationTherapy]

27. I don't think he claims the moon causes earthquakes.

[Godhumor]

28. He kind of is - Predicting based on the moon means the moon has influence on the quake

Regardless, there is no reason to even suspect that moon cycles have anything to do with either predicting or causing quakes.

[KittyWampus]

34. He kind of isn't. So you didn't listen to his interview. Thanks for confirming that.

[Godhumor]

37. Tides=moon, and it is flat-out wrong n/t

[KittyWampus]

39. You are embarrassing yourself. And obviously STILL haven't listened to the

interview.

[KittyWampus]

33. You are wrong. It isn't the "Moon". It's displaced weight on plates via tides.

[Godhumor]

36. Tides are caused by the moon, and have no bearing on tectonic quakes

It is junk science.

[KittyWampus]

40. You need to understand there are other tides besides the lunar. You'd know that

if you listened to the interview.

Funny how some label anything "junk science" automatically just because of their own bias.

[mwb970]

18. What exactly is it with right-wingers and fear?

Is it their drug? They seem to love it so.

[EstimatedProphet]

20. This would mean major earthquakes happen in North America every month.

[KittyWampus]

35. It would if that's what the geologist was actually saying. Too bad you didn't actually listen

to what was said and are reacting to a thread title.

Typical

[EstimatedProphet]

43. Nope, didn't listen. Can't get Youtube at work.

[Hubert Flottz]

24. Lets rush out for more Duct Tape, Plastic Wrap, Flashlights,

potassium iodide tablets and pampers for your senator.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

29. Consult the bones! nt

[KittyWampus]

32. Apparently every DU'er so far HASN"T LISTENED TO HIS INTERVIEW. It's totally valid and I"ve heard

same from other sources.

What the heck is wrong with DU"ers?

He is saying that extraordinary tide cycles can displace enough water to effect plate movements. He then goes on to mention the fact that animals/fish occasionally loose their bearings around time of earthquakes.

[rusty fender]

42. remember those sardines that got stuck

in that Californian marina before the earthquake in Japan? Animals can sense when earthquakes are imminent. It could be that these sardines were fleeing the impact zone. ??????? It's possible.

:shrug:

[Bardley]

45. fish only get lost

because they're too proud to ask for directions

[Godhumor]

48. And yet, it does not work. Extraordinary tide cycles are a red herring

It is not totally valid...it just isn't.

From a great write-up on the tidal issue on Bad Astronomy (http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/03/11/no-the-supermoon-didnt-cause-the-japanese-earthquake/#more-29384 ):

"And that sort of thinking has failed here again. Study after study has shown that big earthquakes are not caused by the Moon, super or otherwise. It would make some sort of sense to think that maybe there is a connection, since the Moon pulls on the Earth, and the majority of earthquakes are caused by tectonic plates slipping past or under each other. However, you can look at the timing of earthquakes versus the distance (and phase) of the Moon, and at best there is a weak correlation between shallow, low intensity quakes and the Moon… and certainly none with major quakes.

Think about it: if there were some connection, and it were this obvious, geologists and seismologists would be issuing warnings every perigee and every full Moon. These are people who have devoted their lives to understanding how the Earth shakes, and would be screaming their heads off if it were something as easy and obvious as the Moon. They don’t because there’s no connection."

[EstimatedProphet]

49. My point exactly

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x668842#669855

[Bardley]

44. in theory, the moon could affect quakes

nobody questions that it affects tides, and tutonic plates are kind of floating

but, i'm guessing this guy's remarks are based on him being a loon, rather than hard science

[MedicalAdmin]

47. You can always identify an invalid criticism...

When it goes after the messenger and doesn't critique the theory/evidence.

[Godhumor]

50. ...the only way the tides would affect a major quake is if the moon decided to move out of its orbit

And radically decrease the distance with this planet to the point that we would be talking about global calamity and not a quake.

[reformist2]

51. The upshot is that everyone is afraid of nuclear power now.

[Motown_Johnny]

52. tide comes in, tide goes out, earthquakes happen, nobody understands it