Nothing says 'serious scientist' quite like calling comparing the government to Nazi Germany

The history of science is littered with the sad tales of a once-great mind falling into an ignominious dotage. Take the example of Louis Agassiz, the once-great 19th century geologist, who's most renowned discovery was the realisation that the Earth had gone through extreme cold events, which he dubbed 'Ice Ages'. Unfortunately (for him), towards the end of his career a couple of upstart heathen Englishmen called Darwin and Wallace jointly submitted works on the origins of species. Agassiz, like the Kansas school board after him, was so offended by the idea of evolution that he spent his later years writing ill-concieved, contradictory and flimsy polemics against the theory. In the process he managed to more or less destroy his own reputation, something no rival had been able to achieve throughout his long career. If there's one thing we can all learn from men like Agassiz (and there have been plenty), its that when you find your academic career is on its downward trajectory, then its time to start cashing in with a few consultancies, and concentrate on teaching your way to becoming every undergrad's favourite Emeritus. Above all, stay off the field when the young studs are kicking the ball around.

Usually I associate Agassiz with contemporary climate change 'skeptics', due to their propensity for offering weak and incoherent arguments, but which gain credibility because they react against a notion that threatens society's status quo. On this occasion its the other side that needed to take note of Agassiz's cautionary tale though. Jim Hansen is a rather distinguished scientist, who was interested in anthropogenic climate change way back before it became fashionable. Just lately, he's been showing signs of the strain that the politicization of climate science is no doubt putting on a man in his position, and has been beginning to develop the dangerous tendency towards activism. Scientists shouldn't be activists. Scientists, like soldiers, should never publicly state their mere opinions, or at least not from the platform of privileged authority that their profession may imply to the lay person. Anyway, Dr Hansen had a bit of a Micheal Richards-style meltdown in the Senate recently when he compared the current White House residents to the Nazis.

The point he was making was perfectly valid, that as a government employee (he's a NASA director) he was being effectively gagged by the administration. Unfortunately, no matter how valid your argument, accusing your opponents of being Nazis lumps you in with girlfriendless conspiracy theorists, online political extremists, and people who stand in shopping malls trying to get you to sign petitions. If there's one thing the climate debate doesn't need at the moment, its respected scientists destroying their own credibility. Nothing says 'nutter' quite as effectively as calling the President a Nazi.