If this Warming Continues, There will be Less Snow - Did you ever think about that?

 A new depressing story from our friends at New Scientist - who report the dumb research, but aren't to blame for the dumb research.  In the January 11, 2025 issue, they report on this shocking result:

Oh lordy - hold on to your anorak:

Elizabeth Burakowski at the University of New Hampshire and her colleagues used a climate model to project how snow cover would change across the continental US under a worst-case emissions scenario leading to global warming of around 3.6°C by 2100.

They found that the number days each year with at least some snow on the ground will decline across much of the country. Areas like New England will still get snow, but “more ephemeral, come-and-go snow”, says Burakowski, who presented the work at the American Geophysical Union meeting in Washington DC last month.

I suspect Dr. Burakowski enjoyed their free trip to Washington D.C. to present this stunning result, and maybe got to take in a Washington Capitals game?  (Enjoy before even their ice rink melts!)

Drop Dr. Burakowski a congratulatory email here: Elizabeth.Burakowski@unh.edu Congrats, Doctor! You made it in to News That Vexes!

Groundbreaking Research: Astrology no better than random guessing!

 In the latest issue of the actual (and honestly, awesome) publication New Scientist, some startling new research has shown that Astrology is actually, ---wait for it---  total hogwash!

Now this is the kind of work that makes PhDs out of mere mortals.  Though in a both very cleverly self-referential and self-deprecating touch, the article in New Scientist starts, "You would think someone saw this coming."  Touché, New Scientist!

Sadly, though perhaps predictably (wink wink), Richard Wiseman from the University of Hertfordshire says he doesn't think it is likely to affect the decision-making of people who seek astrological advice.  "To change [believers'] minds, you would have to address what got them to that point to begin with."

Read the nitty gritty here.  Congratulate the rocket science researcher Spencer Greenberg here.

News That Vexes - Update!

 As we enter the 21st year of News That Vexes, I have finally figured out why our traffic has been lower than usual.  When you search for NewsThatVexes, the first hit is Fox News.   Outrage!  Fox News should be paying our staff referral fees.