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Welcome to the Skeptical Science Widgets page. Here you can configure and acquire any widgets provided by the Skeptical Science team. Check back on occasion, as we hope to make more and more widgets available over time.
Skeptical Science widgets are a great wait to communicate the science and to promote awareness of climate change. A widget (or two) can easily be placed in the margins of most blogs and web sites. Put a widget on your blog to let people know that climate change is important to you.

Instructions

To get a widget for your page, use the controls to the left to configure the widget according to your needs.
When you have the widget set as you wish it to appear, click Generate and choose your blog or page type. The code for your widget will be automatically generated. Follow the accompanying instructions to paste that code into your blog.
If you have any questions, simply email us at:

Learn More

Need more information about the Skeptical Science widgets?
About Widgets

WordPress.com

Please note that true widgets are not available for wordpress.com accounts, only for self-hosted WordPress blogs. WordPress.com will not allow either iframes or javascript in their pages, so they will not allow true widgets to be hosted on blogs that they host. Their own advice is that if you want to host such widgets, you should move your blog to a provider which allows it, such as Blogger (blogspot.com) or TypePad.

As a compromise, Skeptical Science offers a static widget image (a picture of the widget) which, when clicked, will visit the Skeptical Science 4 Hiroshimas web site. To get the appropriate static widget, simply configure the widget as desired and select "Wordpress.com" from the Generate button.

Facebook

Facebook does not have a facility for true widgets, but you can visit the Skeptical Science Heat Widget Facebook Application to post the current global heat content on your Timeline.

Skeptical Science

Skeptical Science is a premiere climate science site, offering a wealth of detailed information on the actual science behind climate change. Visit Skeptical Science, and learn more about everything-climate.

What are Widgets?

Widgets are small applications which can be placed in a blog or web site, usually in the margins. Widgets will display useful information in a compact format, sometimes with some limited ability to interact with the site visitor.

What are the SkS Widgets?

Currently, Skeptical Science only hosts one widget, the Heat Widget.
About the Heat Widget

Why Host Widgets?

Adding a Skeptical Science widget to your page will allow you to unobtrusively convey to your visitors not only the fact that you are concerned about climate change, but also why. By demonstrating important, dynamic information to your visitors, you help to inform them about the facts behind climate change the reason why you are (and they should be) concerned.

Why Not WordPress.com?

The careless use of iframes or javascript in a blog could, in theory, result in site hacks, particularly phishing attempts to gather passwords or other confidential information.

The Skeptical Science widgets are guaranteed to be safe. They do nothing more than what they claim to do, displaying valuable climate facts to your visitors. Nonetheless, Wordpress.com will not allow them to be carried on blogs which they host.

Here's the explaination from Word Press themselves

As a compromise, Skeptical Science offers a static widget image (a picture of the widget) which, when clicked, will visit the Skeptical Science Heat Widget Facebook Application. To get the appropriate static widget, simply configure the widget as desired and select "Wordpress.com" from the Generate button.

Back To Start

The Heat Content Widget

The Skeptical Science Heat Content Widget graphically demonstrates the continual buildup of heat energy in the Earth's climate system (including the atmosphere, oceans and ice melt), demonstrating exactly how large the effects of climate change are in a metric which is meaningful to the average person. It also demonstrates that despite day-to-day and seasonal fluctuations in weather, or year-to-year fluctuations in climate do to natural variation, the overall impact of greenhouse gases, meaning the continual, ceaseless accumulation of extra energy by the climate system continues unabated.

By hosting the Heat Widget on your blog, you will be communicating to your visitors in a tangible, dynamic way exactly how serious climate change will become if we simply continual business as usual without a reasoned respect for the impacts of our actions as a civilization.

To learn more about climate change and the heat build up in the Earth's climate system, visit 4hiroshimas.info.

About Widgets
Back To Start

The Top Ten Climate Myths Widget

The Skeptical Science Top Ten Climate Myths Widget displays the top ten erroneous beliefs about climate change, with links to clear and concise explanations as to why each such myth is incorrect. Climate myths are repeated over and over in the media, on the Internet, and in everyday conversation. They perpetuate misunderstandings and misconceptions about the climate system, climate science, our understanding of the climate and exactly what is happening to the Earth as a result of greenhouse gases.

To learn more about the vast number of climate myths and to understand why each is wrong, visit the full list of climate myths at Skeptical Science.

About Widgets
Back To Start

Add Your Widget

Widget Code

Step By Step

Step 1

Copy the above snippet of code, then click the “Step 2” button below.

Step 2

Copy the above snippet of code, then click the “Step 2” button below.

NOTE: This process only applies to self-hosted WordPress blogs. This means that you have your own server hosting your blog, using installed WordPress software. If you are instead using a wordpress.com blog (one where wordpress.com is hosting your blog), then these instructions will not work for you. Use the WordPress.com button to view the correct instructions in that case.

Step 2
WordPress.com

Copy the above snippet of code, then click the “Step 2” button below.

Step 2

Copy the above snippet of code, then click the “Step 2” button below.

Step 2

Copy the above snippet of code, then click the “Step 2” button below.

WordPress.com does not allow either iframes or javascript, so the actual widget itself cannot be embedded in your site. You can, however, embed an image of the widget, one which will have its counter updated periodically, and which will link to the 4Hiroshimas.info web site, which itself hosts an active version of the widget.

This process will walk you through embedding that linked image.

NOTE: If you are hosting your blog on your own server, using installed WordPress software, then you can host the widget properly. To see those instruction click the “Self-Hosted” button below.

Step 2
Self-Hosted

Copy the above image URL to use as your image.

NOTE: Images are only available for 1970, 1978 and 1998. If you selected a different year, the next lowest available year was used.

Done

Step 2

Log on to your typepad account. You will begin on the dashboard.

At the top, in the “Blogs” menu, select the blog on which you wish to deploy the widget.

Step 3
Back to Step 1

To install the widget, you must have the ability to embed iframes. If you already have a plug-in that embeds iframes, you may use it. If you don't know whether or not you do, then you probably don't have one. That's okay, though, because we'll provide one for you.

If you already have a plug-in which allows you to embed an iframe, then go on to Step 3.

If you want or need the Skeptical Science Widgets Word Press Plug-in, then click the “Get Plug-in” button, which will walk you through downloading and installing the plug-in.

Step 3
Get Plug-in
Back to Step 1

Log on to your blogspot account, and click on the name of the blog to which you wish to add the widget.

Step 3
Back to Step 1

The copied code can be used in any blog or content management system (such as Drupal) which allows embedded iFrames. You must research your site's software to determine exactly how HTML (and, specifically, an iframe) can be embedded in your site.

If your site cannot host an iframe, then use the code generated by the wordpress.com instructions, instead. That code embeds a simple image and a link instead of an iframe. The rest of the wordpress.com instructions may not exactly apply, but use that generated code.

Generally (but not always) there will be a “layout” page which allows an HTML or text “widget” to be dropped into place where you wish the widget to appear. You can paste the code above into that widget, save it, and then view (or perhaps preview) the results.

If you have any questions, or would like to share the details of how you embedded the widget in your own particular blog or site, simply contact us at:

widgets@skepticalscience.com
Done
Back to Step 1

Log into your wordpress.com blog. You will be placed on the Dashboard Home page.

Step 3
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Step 3

You will begin in the “Overview” tab. Find and click the “Design” tab.

Step 4
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Log into your wordpress blog. You will be placed on the Dashboard Home page.

Step 4
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From within the blog to which you wish to add the widget, from the selections on the left, click “Layout”.

Step 4
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Any blog Page 3

Back to Step 2

From the left side menu, choose Appearance, and within that Widgets.

Step 4
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Step 4

You will now be in the design menu. From the left side menu, find and click the “Content” selection.

Step 5
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From the left side menu, choose Appearance, and within that Widgets.

Step 5
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In the space in which you want to add the widget (usually in the margin on the right), locate the “Add a Gadget” link and click it.

Step 5
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You will now be on the Widgets page divided into two columns. In the left column will be a list of Widgets.

Step 5
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Step 5

The content page will show a browser for page components on the top, and your page design on the bottom. In the browser at the top, choose “All” from “Categories”, then “Content” from “Embed your own HTML”, and click the “Add this module” button.

Step 6
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You will now be on the Widgets page divided into two columns. In the left column will be a list of Widgets.

Step 6
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The “Add a Gadget” list, scroll down until you find the HTML-Javascript gadget, and click it.

Step 6
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Scroll down to find the “Text” widget.

Click on the “Text” widget, drag it to the Sidebar area on the right (which represents the widgets on the sidebar of your page), and release it in the spot where you'd like the widget to appear.

Step 6
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Step 6

In the dialog box that appears, enter a Title for the widget (it will not appear on your blog, only on your content design below). In the “HTML” box paste in the HTML code that you copied in Step 1.

Then click “OK”.

Step 7
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Scroll down to find the “Skeptical Science” widget.

Click on the “Skeptical Science” widget, drag it to the Sidebar area on the right (which represents the widgets on the sidebar of your page), and release it in the spot where you'd like the widget to appear.

Step 7
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Enter a Title for the widget (if you want to use one). In the “Content” box paste in the HTML code that you copied in Step 1.

Then click “Save”.

Step 7
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The dropped text widget will be expanded to reveal empty fields. Enter a Title for the widget (if you want to use one). In the “Content” box paste in the HTML code that you copied in Step 1.

Then click “Save”.

You may now go to your blog to view the widget in place. If necessary, you can regenerate the widget in a different color, size or style, copy the new code from step 1, and paste that into place in the text widget you just added (from the wordpress.com Widgets page). Just click the text widget again to view its fields. You can also drag the widget around to reposition it.

Done
Back to Step 5

Step 7

After you have saved the widget, a placeholder will appear in your layout using the title you entered. You may drag that placeholder to reposition the widget.

To see the widget in place, locate the “Preview” button at the bottom left and click it. Your blog will open in a new tab or window.

Step 8
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The dropped Skeptical Science widget will be expanded to reveal its fields. Enter a Title for the widget (if you want to use one). In the “Widget Code” box delete the default widget code and paste in the HTML code that you copied in Step 1.

Then click “Save”.

Step 8
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After you have saved the widget, a placeholder will appear in your layout.

To see the widget in place, locate the “Preview” button at the top right and click it. You blog will open in a new tab or window.

Step 8
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Step 8

Look over the layout. If necessary, you can close the tab/window, make further changes, and preview again. You can also regenerate the widget in another size, color or style, and modify it.

When you are satisfied with the look and position of the widget, close the preview window, return to the “Design Content” tab for your blog, locate the “Save” button at the bottom left and click it.

You are done. Enjoy your widget!

Done
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You may now go to your blog to view the widget in place. Hover over the name of your blog on the upper left, and select “Visit Site” from the drop down menu. Your site will open in a new window.

Look over the layout. If necessary, you can close the tab/window, make further changes, and use Visit Site again. You can also regenerate the widget in another size, color or style, and modify it.

You are done. Enjoy your widget!

Done
Back to Step 7

Look over the layout. If necessary, you can close the tab/window, make further changes, and preview again. You can also regenerate the widget in another size, color or style, and modify it.

When you are satisfied, close your blog tab/window, and in the layout window, locate and click the “Save arrangement” button.

You are done. Enjoy your widget!

Done
Back to Step 7

Get the Plug-in: Step 1

Use the link below to download the plug in and save it on your own computer.

Download Plug-in
Step 2
Back to Widget

Get the Plug-in: Step 2

Log into your wordpress site. You will be placed on your dashboard page.

Step 3
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Get the Plug-in: Step 3

From the navigation menu at the left, choose “Plugins” and then “Add New”.

Step 4
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Get the Plug-in: Step 4

On the “Install Plugins” page, click “Upload”.

Step 5
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Get the Plug-in: Step 5

Click the “Browse” button, navigate to the “sks-widget.zip” file that you downloaded in Step 1 and select it.

Step 6
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Get the Plug-in: Step 6

Click the “Install Now” button.

When the installation finishes, click the “Return to Plugins page” link.

Step 7
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Get the Plug-in: Step 7

On the the “Plugins” page you should see the “Skeptical Science Widget” plugin. You are now ready to use it to install a Skeptical Science widget on your wordpress blog.

Click the “Use Plugin” button below to return to the widget installation steps.

Use Plugin
Back to Step 5
Need help? E-mail
Done