Convincing Crichton

I actually finished reading State of Fear during Christmas break. It was a massive book, so I wanted to get it over with, but fortunately I found myself thoroughly enjoying the read. One of the reasons I was so engrossed, was because it was incredibly convincing. Not only did I find myself question global warming, but at times I was actually certain that it must be a hoax, and I blame this all on the rhetoric.

One aspect of the rhetoric that I found especially convincing was how confident, informed, and professionally it was delivered. Every character was either a professor, researcher, or expert on the topic in question. Frequently I had to stop and think, "Wait, remember this is fiction, these characters are not real. They are creations of Crichton." But they were so informed, and intelligent, and they knew all the environmental jargon! Take this passage for instance, that occurs after Evans tells Kenner that he is sure that Antarctica is melting,

"You think that repetition makes something true? The data show that one relatively small area called the Antarctic Peninsula is melting and calving huge icebergs. That gets reported year after year, but the continent as a whole is getting colder, and the ice is getting thicker."

With this statement Kenner has got me. He refutes the only reason I know that makes me believe global warming is real; repetition. I have heard over and over our climate is getting warmer, but have I ever personally looked into the matter? Found evidence that supports or negates global warming's existence? No, I have not. Then he goes on to say, "the data show..." With that phrase he creates credibility. What follows is the data speaking, not his opinion, not speculation, but hard evidence. Then words like "Antarctic Peninsula" and "calving" put me even further under Kenner's persuasive spell. His diction is incredibly specialized and authentic. The average person does not keep these words in their back pocket, and is not this well informed.

And if that's not enough book is filled with all of these real graphs and charts, and also appendixes and citations for them in the back! This made me completely think of Latour. If you didn't believe what the character's were saying, then you must at least believe the graph, and if you didn't believe the graph then look at its citation and find it's study in the real world. All I can say is that I was convinced. By the end of the book I was sure global warming was nothing more than a scam.

But then something from the Author's Message brought me back, "I am certain that there is too much certainty in the world." I was sure global warming existed before the book, and yet I was just as sure it not exist after. Anything can be made to sound convincing. Whether the rhetoric is incredibly persuasive or you've simply heard an idea enough times to believe it. After reading this quote I decided to be more objective and open. If I want to be sure of something, I better put in the research to sure. Otherwise I think I will remain considerate and open to all ideas.