"The problem is not the math itself, but the blind acceptance and even idolatry we have applied to the quantitative models. These predictive models leave citizens befuddled and unable to defend or criticize model-based decisions. We argue that we should accept the fact that we live in a qualitative world when it comes to natural processes. We must rely on qualitative models that predict only direction, trends, or magnitudes of natural phenomena, and accept the possibility of being imprecise or wrong to some degree. We should demand that when models are used, the assumptions and model simplifications are clearly stated. A better method in many cases will be adaptive management, where a flexible approach is used, where we admit there are uncertainties down the road and we watch and adapt as nature rolls on."
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Academics from the United StatesNon-fiction authors from the United StatesEducators from the United StatesGeologists from the United StatesDuke University faculty
Original Language: English
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Interview with Orrin Pilkey & Linda Jarvis-Pilkey.
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Orrin_H._Pilkey
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Orrin H. Pilkey
Orrin H. Pilkey (September 14, 1934 – December 13, 2024) was Emeritus Professor of Geology and Director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines (PSDS) within the Division of Earth and Ocean Science at Duke University.
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