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We talk about the weather when we have nothing else to say. When the weather is unpredictable or unusual for a significant period of time, we talk about climate change. A strong majority of scientists today believe that global climate change is occurring, and that it is caused by human activity. However, we have to distinguish between weather and climate. According to NASA, “The difference between weather and climate is a measure of time. Weather is what conditions of the atmosphere are over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere "behaves" over relatively long periods of time.” In other words, climate is weather with history, and to truly explore what climate change means for the future, we must understand the weather patterns of the past.

This exhibition investigates the relationship between weather and time by questioning past perceptions, examining measurement and prediction practices, and surveying sources of historical data.

About the Exhibition

Winds of Change was curated by Alla Barabtarlo, Timothy Perry, and Kelli Hansen in March 2016 in conjunction with the 12th Annual Life Sciences and Society Symposium at the University of Missouri. Digital imaging by Amy Spencer, Rebecca Benson, Ekaterina Shevchenko, and Kayla Thompson. Website constructed in Omeka by Kelli Hansen.