Topic: Temperature

The Mediterranean Sea reportedly hit a record median surface temperature of 28.9 degrees Celsius, just 0.2 degrees higher than the previous year. The hosts mock the media's insistence that beachgoers could "sense" this fractional difference and criticize the tendency to attribute every minor event or personal inconvenience to "climate change."

International media outlets like Sky News Australia critique American networks for blaming Trump's "defiant" reaction for inciting his supporters. CBS anchor Margaret Brennan is highlighted for criticizing Trump's failure to "lower the temperature" in his immediate post-shooting statement. The hosts discuss the media's struggle to report on Trump as a victim.

The Climatic Research Unit (CRU) at the University of East Anglia is reported to have lost or destroyed the original raw data used for global temperature records. In response to Freedom of Information requests, the unit claimed it only possesses "homogenized" or manipulated data because it lacked storage resources in the 1980s. The hosts highlight this as a major blow to the credibility of the scientific consensus on warming.

Climate systems scientist Paul Beckwith discusses the dangers of high humidity and temperature combinations reaching the "wet bulb" threshold. Beckwith claims that temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius with 100% humidity can lead to fatal heat stroke and the breakdown of human proteins. The hosts mock the "egg white" analogy used to describe protein denaturation in the human body during extreme heat.

An extreme Arctic air mass is forecasted to move into Texas around December 23, bringing temperatures as low as 15 degrees. This weather event is expected to provide a fresh test for the Texas power grid, drawing comparisons to the catastrophic freeze that occurred two years prior.

Critics examine the "hockey stick" graph created by Michael Mann, alleging that he cherry-picked tree ring data to create a dramatic temperature spike at the end of the record. The graph became an iconic tool for the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to argue that human industry caused unprecedented warming starting in the 1880s. Skeptics claim the data was manufactured to justify political goals rather than reflect accurate historical temperature variations.

The Siberian town of Verkhoyansk recorded a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the highest ever recorded in the Arctic Circle. Meteorologists noted that a nearby weather balloon measured 70 degrees a mile up in the atmosphere, supporting the surface reading. While the event is linked to climate change, the hosts debate the mathematical relationship between altitude and temperature drop.

Texas entered phase one of its reopening plan, allowing restaurants like The Lonesome Dove in Austin to operate at 25% capacity. Patrons experienced mandatory temperature checks and were required to sign health declarations before being seated at tables spaced ten feet apart. While the dining experience felt like a return to normalcy, the absence of open barbershops and nail salons remains a visible sign of ongoing restrictions.

Nancy Pelosi's appearance on Bill Maher's show is highlighted, where she described her political strategy as "cold-blooded." This is linked to a Stanford University study claiming the average human body temperature in the U.S. has dropped from 98.6 to 97.9 degrees since the 19th century. The hosts jokingly use this data to support a "reptilian" theory regarding political figures like Pelosi and Adam Schiff.

A listener report from Western Maryland describes a massive infestation of brown marmorated stink bugs, which first arrived in the US via Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 1998. The report also notes strange weather patterns, including 30-degree temperature swings within hours and high winds. The hosts speculate on whether these anomalies are related to regional weather modification experiments.

CBS News reported that climate change is causing record-high pollen counts and longer allergy seasons. However, NOAA data from rural monitoring stations suggests that 2018 was slightly colder than 2002, and early 2019 saw significant cold temperature anomalies that contradict the warming narrative.

The Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute (KNMI) is accused of manipulating historical temperature data to make modern heat waves appear more frequent. Critics point out that the institute lowered temperature readings from 100 years ago by two degrees Celsius, effectively changing the baseline for what constitutes a heat wave. The hosts discuss the historical accuracy of mercury thermometers compared to modern electronic sensors.

A producer explains that the 2030 deadline frequently cited by climate activists is significant because major Western climate models begin to diverge sharply at that point. The discussion suggests that China's commitment to the Paris Accords only begins after 2030 because they anticipate the models' predictive failures will be evident by then.

A detailed account is provided regarding the preparation of a ten-pound Narragansett heritage turkey. The narrative emphasizes the necessity of high-temperature cooking methods, starting at 500 degrees, and warns against the use of oiled parchment paper which can ash at such heat. The discussion concludes with a comparison of heritage birds versus commercial broad-breasted turkeys.

The hosts investigate the claim that 2014 was the "warmest year on record." They analyze a slide from a NOAA and NASA webinar showing that the probability of 2014 being the warmest year was only 48% for NOAA and 38% for NASA. They argue that the media and the President presented these uncertain probabilities as definitive scientific facts.

The discussion continues regarding the discrepancy between NOAA and NASA temperature data. The hosts highlight that the ranking of "record years" is highly sensitive to methodology and coverage. They criticize the "fair bit of confidence" expressed by scientists when their own data shows it is more likely that 2014 was NOT the warmest year on record.

NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) claimed 2014 was the warmest year on record, a point emphasized by President Obama. However, GISS Director Gavin Schmidt later admitted there was only a 38% certainty for this claim due to a margin of error of 0.1 degrees Celsius, which exceeds the reported 0.02-degree temperature increase. The discussion questions the accuracy of global temperature measurements dating back to 1880.

The hosts review a new donation format based on local temperatures and share a listener story about playing the "douchebag jingle" for Senator Lindsey Graham at a festival. Additional producer notes cover job searches and international currency transfers.

Ralph Reed appears on Bill Maher's "Overtime" to argue that global mean surface temperatures have not increased since 2000, citing NOAA data. Bill Maher and Anthony Weiner dismiss Reed's claims, with Maher calling the statistics "bullshit." The hosts analyze the exchange as an example of the highly polarized and emotional nature of the climate debate.

A new trend in high-end restaurants involves servers asking for the specific "temperature" of meat rather than traditional doneness levels. The hosts find this practice annoying and pretentious, joking about bringing their own pocket thermometers to verify the exact degrees. They speculate this trend started in Los Angeles and is spreading to other major cities.