RealClimate: The established ground and new ideas

Science is naturally conservative and the scepticism to new ideas ensures high scientific quality. We have more confidence when different scholars arrive at the same conclusion independently of each other. But scientific research also brings about discoveries and innovations, and it typically takes time for such new understanding to receive acknowledgement and acceptance. In the meanwhile, it’s uncertain whether they really represent progress or if they are misconceived ideas. Sometimes we can shed more light on new ideas through scientific discussions.

I recently experienced the contrast between old knowledge and new ideas when my research group used a well-established mathematical concept in a new way. In this case, the mathematical concept is related to so-called eigenfunctions, but in climate research known as empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) and discussed earlier in a post here (‘Why not use a clever mathematical trick?’). I decided to elaborate on this idea through a discussion paper in EGUsphere with an open review. It will hopefully lead to some…