The Galton Board
The board was invented in 1876 by Sir Francis Galton (UK) and demonstrated the bell shaped normal distribution by dropping balls on a set of pegs.
However the board also beautifully demonstrates why we can say something about the climate in 100 years even if we can't predict the weather in 2 weeks time: the weather is like predicting the path of a single ball, however if we drop many balls, the distribution that results is like the "climate" for a location. Come to see and play with it!
However the board also beautifully demonstrates why we can say something about the climate in 100 years even if we can't predict the weather in 2 weeks time: the weather is like predicting the path of a single ball, however if we drop many balls, the distribution that results is like the "climate" for a location. Come to see and play with it!
Adrian Tompkins
A climate scientist from the UK, he moved to Italy to work at ICTP 2007 attracted by the opportunity to combine science research with science education, development and support particularly in the global south. His research mostly focuses on tropical extreme weather in the climate system.