Congratulations to Anthony Watts: Best Science Blog 2100 WUWT!

WUWT Best Science Blog
Watts Up With That has won the 2011 best blog award in the category of "Science." The award is called the "Bloggie", perhaps in imitation of the Emmy or the Grammy. Regardless, it is a distinct honour, and one that is well-deserved by Anthony Watts and his team.

Anthony Watts first became well-known in the blogosphere with his vitally important "Surface Stations" project, to determine the quality and validity of the important climate data being collected by the large network of USHCN surface stations. This data becomes the raw material for climate models -- which could easily determine the fate of $trillions of government spending and redistribution in the not-so-distant future.

From there, Watts founded the "Watts Up With That?!" blog, which has rapidly grown to the most popular source for high quality dispassionate and sceptical information regarding the global warming political and quasi-religious movement.

I’ll simply say “thank you dear readers”, and leave it at that. I also owe thanks to the many moderators and guest bloggers that make WUWT what it is. You are winners too.

I have a temporary badge up, a permanent one follows when they have it all completed. The main page here http://2011.bloggi.es should have the announcement soon – Anthony _WUWT

The award is well deserved. Here's hoping for many more of the same in the future.

The result of the conscientious efforts of bloggers such as Anthony Watts, Roger Pielke Sr., and Steve McIntyre is a turning away from a politicised carbon hysteria, back toward a more honest science of climate -- at least in some circles.

The jury is still out on other attempts at increased transparency in climate studies.

Rambling Thoughts Blog

AK's Rambling Thoughts blog is a relatively new blog potpourri of scientific and intellectual curiousity. I discovered Rambling Thoughts blog by following a link from the weekly wisdom link roundup of one of my favourites:SimoleonSense blog.

AK specialises in cell biology and evolutionary biology, but also posts thoughtful articles dealing with the brain, theoretical biology, bio-thermodynamics, and so on .... over a wide range of very important topics. The ideas are well presented, with links, illustrations, and clear, informed logic. Check out AK's Rambling Thoughts and expand your evolutionary potential.

Simoleon Sense Blog: For Evolved Readers

Very few blogs have earned Al Fin's highest rating. If you take a few minutes of every day this week to follow Simoleonsense blog, you will understand why that blog is the latest recipient of the Al Fin Medal of Blog Advancement. Consider this posting: Weekly Wisdom Roundup #18. That single posting contains 28 juicy links, each leading to mind expanding information relevant to modern concerns.

The sheer breadth of topics covered by Simoleon Sense is staggering. Both the linked information and the blog commentary are of highest quality, totally free of the sarcasm and snark about which so many readers complain to Al Fin in emails. In fact, Simoleon Sense may be very much like what Al Fin blog would be, if Al Fin were to take the responsibility of blogging more seriously.

If you enjoy Al Fin blog, you will probably have your mind blown from a regular reading of Simoleon Sense.

Best Science Blog: Climate Audit

Steve McIntyre's self-financed blog Climate Audit has done a lot to ensure accountability and responsibility among the well-financed and trendy ranks of climate scientists. It is fitting that his blog should win this years Best Science Blog award. Results so far are tentative, pending review.

Compare the post-voting sentiments expressed by the top 3 finalists and skim the comments:

Steve McIntyre at Climate Audit

Phil Blait at Bad Astronomy

PZ Myers at Pharyngula

McIntyre has always displayed an abundance of class, and his post above is a good example. Blait displays only the mildest of "sour grapes", although he does give in to that sentiment a bit more than is seemly. Myers, on the other hand, has come absolutely unglued in his invective and non-sequitur filled posting and comments. To make it worse, he goes over to Bad Astronomy and displays the same lack of class and good sense there. Someone obviously took this silly little blog award a bit too seriously.

Had McIntyre lost the contest, he would have been first to offer a hearty and sincere congratulations, because that is the type of first-class person he is. I wish the other two--particularly Myers--had been made of the same stuff.

Update 10 November: Adjustment of the tally after the polls closed has placed Climate Audit in a dead tie with Bad Astronomy. The final winner will be announced in two days on 12 November. Congratulations to the two front-runners.

As you will notice, Steve at Climate Audit added a link to Bad Astronomy to his blogroll. As of this time, Bad Astronomy has not reciprocated. That small bit of courtesy could easily be the tie-breaker in favour of CA blog.
;-)

Blog Carnivals and Blog Wars

Three of my favourite blog carnivals are up:

Tangled Bank #92 is hosted at PaddyK. A veritable biological cornucopia.

Carnival of Space #28 is hosted at The Planetary Society. The latest in space news and commentary.

Encephalon #35 is hosted at The Primate Diaries. The premiere neuroscience blog carnival.

And what "blog wars," you may ask? Well, the voting for the Best Science Blog concludes today, and number 3 in the running, Pharyngula by PZ Myers, is throwing out some feces tainted mud at a fellow science blog that is running a bit ahead currently. The remaining blog in top three running, Bad Astronomy Blog, is trying to stay above the fray--good on him!

These contests sometimes bring out the worst in otherwise civilised bloggers. Here's hoping that all concerned are capable of recovering from partisan squabbles soon enough to resume science blogging tomorrow!