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Atmosphere & Algorithms

Atmosphere & Algorithms

Scientific Network funded by the DFG German Research Community (2010-2012). Conjoint publication of the network: Matthias Heymann (Arhus), Gabriele Gramelsberger (Berlin), Martin Mahony (London) (eds.): Cultures of Prediction (in preperation for 2015/2016).


The DFG Scientific Network “Atmosphere & Algorithms“ brouhgt together researchers from history and philosophy of atmospheric science with researchers from atmospheric science. Since forecasting algorithms have increasingly gained ground in meteorology in the 1950s and since the Charney Report posed the question of climate sensitivity in 1979, modelling has paved the way of meteorology to climate change science and policy. The goal of the network was to discuss the ongoing developments in atmospheric science (weather and climate science) due to the use of computers and algorithms and to link them with historical developments. It aimed to support scientific exchange of ideas as well as conjoint publications and research activities amongst the participants.

The network was organized by five meetings between 2010 and 2012 as well as by the mailing list AtmoAlgo.

  • 1st meeting, 16-17 December 2010, on “Politics of Scale” at the RCC Rachel Carson Center Munich (hosted by Helmuth Trischler, RCC Munich).
  • 2nd meeting, 12-13 May 2011, on “Visualizing Climate” at the University of Potsdam (hosted by Birgit Schneider, University Potsdam).
  • 3rd meeting, 12-13 October 2011, on "Climate Risk and Natural Hazards" at Munich Re (hosted by Eberhard Faust, Munich Re) and “Measurement and Simulation” at the IPA Institut fuer Physik der Atmosphaere Oberpfaffenhofen-Munich (hosted by Hans Volkert, IPA).
  • 4th meeting, 3-4 May 2012, on “Climate Science and the Changing Nature of Uncertainty” at the School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich (hosted by Mike Hulme and Martin Mahony, UEA Norwich).
  • 5th meeting, 11-12 October 2012, on "Climate Modeling and Prediction: Scales of Confidence" at the CNRS-Centre A. Koyré Paris (hosted by Helene Guillemot, CNRS Paris).
  • AtmoAlgo mailing list hosted by the DKRZ German Climate Computing Center Hamburg (2010-2015).
  • Follow-up: Panel "Cultures of prediction", ESHS 6th conference of the European Society for the History of Science, Lisbon 4-6.9.2014.

The network was open to interested researchers and phd students from history and philosophy of atmospheric science. Therefore each meeting included a public workshop, which could be attended by interested researchers to get in contact with the network participants and projects.