Game of Thrones begins....

[Martinus]

Btw, I don't remember whether the books say that the "winter is coming" phenomenon occurs globally or is this more of a Westeros-based phenomenon? If the latter, this could be related to some sort of Gulfstrom surrounding Westeros that goes down or up depending on icecaps melting or whatever, and causes these strong winter periods. Europe would pretty much plunge to the climatic levels of Canada if the real-world Gulfstrom was shut down so that's not so unlikely (and since GRRM is a leftie, he probably is familiar with all the "global warming causes global ice age" theories).

[Eddie Teach]

But the long winters in Westeros are cyclical, what kind of mechanism are you envisioning that would both melt and re-freeze the icecaps?

[Tamas]

I have a theory on this: Martin needed this good story element, so he made it up.

[Martinus]

But the long winters in Westeros are cyclical, what kind of mechanism are you envisioning that would both melt and re-freeze the icecaps?

But they are not predictably cyclical - in middle ages we also had a "mini ice age" and then again in the 16th century.

[Josquius]

Martin has said specifically that the winters are 100% magical, no crazy astronomy or gulf streams or anything.

Without magic....some sort of second sun orbiting the first which occasionally draws nearer to the planet giving warmer weather and other times is far away giving default colder weather?

[Viking]

Damn, John Adams was expensive.

Salaries, perhaps?

Besides Giamatti, were there other big names on it?  Besides him the only one that comes to mind is David Morse, who played Washington, and I don't think he's in the same league as Giamatti salary-wise.

Laura Linney? I think Adams suffered from the need to get things perfectly in line with a series of ceremonial oil paintings that were not very true to reality.

[grumbler]

Martin has said specifically that the winters are 100% magical, no crazy astronomy or gulf streams or anything.

Never get between a goober and the object of his gooberness.

[Martinus]

Without magic....some sort of second sun orbiting the first which occasionally draws nearer to the planet giving warmer weather and other times is far away giving default colder weather?

You do realize that temperatures on Earth have preciously little to do with the *distance* from the Sun, right? Why do retards always seem to think that LOL WE GET CLOSR 2 TEH SUN IN SUMMR?

[Grey Fox]

Yes but how does adding a second sun affect that dynamic?

[Berkut]

Without magic....some sort of second sun orbiting the first which occasionally draws nearer to the planet giving warmer weather and other times is far away giving default colder weather?

You do realize that temperatures on Earth have preciously little to do with the *distance* from the Sun, right?

Uhhh, wut?

[Grey Fox]

Without magic....some sort of second sun orbiting the first which occasionally draws nearer to the planet giving warmer weather and other times is far away giving default colder weather?

You do realize that temperatures on Earth have preciously little to do with the *distance* from the Sun, right?

Uhhh, wut?

Well, it's true. It's an angle thing more then anything else.

[Martinus]

Without magic....some sort of second sun orbiting the first which occasionally draws nearer to the planet giving warmer weather and other times is far away giving default colder weather?

You do realize that temperatures on Earth have preciously little to do with the *distance* from the Sun, right?

Uhhh, wut?

The cycle of seasons on Earth (and accompanying temperature changes) are mainly connected with the Earth's axis/which part of Earth is being shined upon by the Sun - winter doesn't happen because at the time the Earth is far from the Sun, but because at the time, the hemisphere where winter happens is under the "wrong" angle vis-a-vis the Sun.

[Berkut]

Without magic....some sort of second sun orbiting the first which occasionally draws nearer to the planet giving warmer weather and other times is far away giving default colder weather?

You do realize that temperatures on Earth have preciously little to do with the *distance* from the Sun, right?

Uhhh, wut?

The cycle of seasons on Earth (and accompanying temperature changes) are mainly connected with the Earth's axis/which part of Earth is being shined upon by the Sun - winter doesn't happen because at the time the Earth is far from the Sun, but because at the time, the hemisphere where winter happens is under the "wrong" angle vis-a-vis the Sun.

Ahh, you are talking about the variance in temperature not being about distance from the sun, rather than the temperature itself.

Gotcha.

[grumbler]

You do realize that temperatures on Earth have preciously little to do with the *distance* from the Sun, right?

Uhhh, wut?

The cycle of seasons on Earth (and accompanying temperature changes) are mainly connected with the Earth's axis/which part of Earth is being shined upon by the Sun - winter doesn't happen because at the time the Earth is far from the Sun, but because at the time, the hemisphere where winter happens is under the "wrong" angle vis-a-vis the Sun.

Why do retards always fuck up explanations of the earth's temperatures with arguments like "temperatures on Earth have preciously little to do with the *distance* from the Sun? "

Of course temperatures have to do with distance fromthe sun.  That is why Mercury is so ho0t and Neptune so cold.  This is simple stuff that even Polack schools should be able to impart to students.  Maybe you were absent that day?

The seasons on earth have more to do with axial tilt than orbital distance from the sun, but that doesn't mean that distance from the sun isn't the more important factor in overall temperature.

[Liep]

I'm sure retards don't care about how the earth's position affects them.