'I got it wrong on climate change – it's far, far worse.'

[zazen]

3. nor do they understand the discursive requirement of "hedging"

Enculturation into science writing entails learning how to qualify arguments all over the place. Even with startling data, one has to position one's self humbly within a larger community across space and time.

Then, Republican deniers take text from those articles and twist it to make it sound like the scientists really aren't sure about their findings.

I remember one asshole House member asking a scientist during a hearing, yelling at him, basically, "is it right or wrong?! can you not answer a question with yes or no!? why can't you tell us the truth!?" etc. etc. (so he could have footage for his campaign web site, we presume).