Rotman 2014 Annual Conference: Knowledge and Models in Climate Science
23 October 2014 - 26 October 2014
CONFERENCE DESCRIPTION
The Rotman Institute of Philosophy second annual conference, Knowledge and Models in Climate Science: Philosophical, Historical, and Scientific Perspectives, took place on Oct. 24-26, 2014. The conference brought together researchers to discuss the use of models in understanding the climate from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Models and computer simulations are essential not only for understanding the factors determining climate processes, but also for evaluating how changes in climate will affect ecosystems and human societies. Recent gains in modeling precision and realism have allowed climate researchers to address both questions more confidently, yet there are many remaining sources of uncertainty. Participants in the conference explored different approaches to modeling in order to gain a better understanding of the nature, strengths and limitations of the knowledge it produces, and built a better understanding of the means by which these uncertainties can be managed.
SCHEDULE
Plenary speakers at the conference were:
Gregor Betz (Karlsruher Institute for Technology)
Paul Edwards (University of Michigan)
James Fleming (Colby College)
Reto Knutti (ETH Zurich)
Robert Lempert (Pardee RAND Graduate School)
Linda Mearns (National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR))
Wendy Parker (Durham University)
Gavin Schmidt (National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA))
Leonard Smith (London School of Economics)
Eric Winsberg (The University of South Florida)
Charlotte Werndl (University of Salzburg)