Global warming has been in the news a lot lately. So has the record-breaking cold weather of the winter of 2009-2010. At the very least, those two things seem contradictory.

Most people seem to have a strong position on global warming. They either passionately believe it will destroy the world as we know it; or, they just as passionately believe global warming is a hoax. Not too many people are undecided.

But how many people actually understand this issue of global warming? How many can explain even the basic science behind the headlines? Far too few! The more people really understand the ideas, the better the decisions we will all make about what to do and how to do it.

When you studied science in school, it was probably presented as a series of facts and theories. But science is not static; our understanding changes as our knowledge of the universe grows. And scientists are people, with their own beliefs and biases, even though they try very hard to overcome those biases.

Scientific theories often have a long and twisted path to acceptance. Take, for example, the concept of heliocentrism: the idea that the Earth revolves around the sun. It was first proposed in the 3rd century BC by Aristarchus, a Greek astronomer and mathematician. But his idea was rejected, in favor of the belief that everything revolved around the Earth. Heliocentrism pretty much disappeared until the 16th and 17th centuries, when it was revived by men like Nicolaus Copernicus, Johannes Kepler and Galileo Galilei. At the time, these men and their ideas were also met with skepticism (and worse).

Our scientific understanding of the Earth’s climate is growing quickly, but it remains a complicated topic. Join me as we explore the science behind the headlines, and learn enough to make an informed, rational decision about global warming.

From the Author, Roberta Cahn

Welcome!

This is a controversial topic, and all sorts of people are talking and writing about their ideas and opinions. It’s important that you know at least a little bit about those people and the sources that provide your information.

I am, by training, an engineer with degrees in chemical and biochemical engineering, and many years of experience in research, industry and education. I like to see and analyze data for myself, and not just accept someone else’s analysis. It bothers me to see how often people distort or misrepresent the facts, on this and other important topics.

I am also a parent, with the hopes and dreams for my children that all parents have. It’s important to me (and them) that we get this thing right. To be honest, I have not yet made up my mind about this, although I have the feeling that the truth is somewhere in the middle. And so I decided to do my own analysis of as much of the data as I can find.

Thanks for joining me here as we explore this complex and important issue together. I hope these articles are helpful.  It’s critical that we all base our opinions on knowledge and understanding, and not simply accept the words of the “talking heads” on either side of the debate.

Disclaimer: This blog is written and maintained by Roberta Cahn. The views expressed in this blog are my own, and Science Made Simple is not responsible for any of the content.