Summer Colloquia 2000

The National Center for Atmospheric Research
Dynamics of Decadal to Centennial Climate Variability
17-28 July 2000
Boulder, Colorado

Preface | Participants | Lectures | Student Presentations | Humor

Colloquium Quotes
Epilogue

As the Colloquium was drawing to an end, a number of the very-diligent students met one evening to try and summarize the learnings which had characterized the two weeks. As we compiled a list - it became apparent that most of what had really made it through was tied to the inspiring words of wisdom of our lecturers and fellow students.

To show what we had learnt and, in general, to test the level of attentiveness of the three organizers of the colloquium - we thought we would quiz them on who had uttered these wise words. Hence Clara Deser, Saravanan and David Battisti were kindly asked to step on the `podium'. The three sat behind a table, each with a green, plastic, noise-making frog in front of them. At this point, students recited famous citations from the two weeks of lectures and asked for `who said this ?'. The first one to squish the frog - had a right to answer first. In what resulted in a very heated competition, Clara revealed herself as the quickest frog-squisher, Saravanan came second, and David third. Prizes were handed out at the end.

Here are the questions. They are split into four categories: Observations, Statistics, Modeling and Philosophy.

Observations:

• The NAO is just the trunk of the elephant.
  (Mike Wallace)
  
  
• You can't trust the data.
  (Jim Hurrell)
  
  
• ENSO is like a dog - but we need to know what kind of dog it is.
  (Kevin Trenberth)
  
  
• (Two men walk onto the stage, one wearing scuba-diving-like gear. The other ties a rope around the diver, fastens it by pulling (one foot against the diver) and pushes the diver in the water. Periodically he yanks the diver by the rope.) Who described this observational system ?
  (Doug Martinson)
  
  
• It's a bit exaggerated - but no cheating.
  (Masahiro Watanabe)
  
  
• Show it one way, show it another way, then show it again.
  (Chris Bretherton about the Wallace Paradigm)
  
  
• That's an interesting shape .... and so is that ... and that.
  (Peter Gent about his photos of ice-bergs)

Statistics:

• There is no such thing as objective analysis.
  (Chris Bretherton)
  
  
• Never trust a power spectrum.
  (Rol Madden)
  
  
• The NAO is noise and noise is everything
  (the gist of Joe Barsugli's talk)
  
  
• Even if you are lucky enough to find a detectable response, it is unlikely that it will be consistent.
  (Rowan Sutton)
  
  
• Even if it's detectable, it is unlikely to be predictable.
  (Saravanan)
  
  
• Another digression and you're out!
  (Saravanan to Joe Barsugli)
  
  
• There's a ninth way to compute the power spectrum. (John Marshall - the way is to give the time series to Carl Wunsch)
  
  

Modeling:

• Q. How can you look at the THC without a coupled model ?
  A. I only have time for the uncoupled.
  (Brian Farrell asked Ed Sarachik)
  
  
• Two good things about working on coupled models:
  i) if there's something wrong, you can blame it on the other component
  ii) you get to see penguins
  (Peter Gent)
  
  
• The ocean matters. (and then in a mirror image)
  The ocean does not matter.
  (Claude Frankignoul)
  
  
• Processes are more important than whether you are right or wrong.
  (John Marshall)
  
  
• Marika will cover that.
  (Andrew Weaver)
  
  
• This is not a toy model, this is real. THIS IS IT.
  (John Marshall)
  
  
• (A map of the western Pacific was put up).
  Can anyone point to Hudson Bay ?
  (about Ed Sarachik's geographical knowledge)

Philosophy

• Does anybody live in the Southern Hemisphere ?
  (Marcelo Barreiro)
  
  
• Q. Could you please use the pointer ?
  A. There are already SO MANY problems.
  (Clara Deser asking Grant Branstator)
  
  
• As a scientist one can re-live the excitement of Shackleton's adventure while sipping champagne and eating lobster.
  (Doug Martinson)
  
  
• I am going to assume that everybody knows what it is, even if probably nobody does. But I don't have time to explain it.
  (Enric Palle-Bago)
  
  
• The role of the ocean is to be wet and hot.
  (David Battisti)
  
  
• Not everybody who has a beard can speak for eight hours straight.
  (Walter Robinson)
  
  
• You can be an optimist so long as you haven't looked at any data.
  (Saravanan)
  
  
• I guess I'm stuck - so we need an ocean after all.
  (David Battisti)
  
  
• Today `reception' does mean `alcohol'.
  (Clara Deser)
  
  
• Q. Could you please stand away from the projector ?
  A. You want me to write on the screen ?
  (Clara Deser asking Joe Barsugli)