Climate Proxies: What We Know, How We Know, and How to Communicate It

This is a professional symposium focused on paleoclimatology, featuring three top scholars—Jonathan Overpeck, Julie Cole, and Kim Cobb—who will engage in an in-depth discussion on "climate proxies." These proxies are essentially the "codebook" for scientists to read ancient climates: from ice cores, corals, tree rings, to lake sediments, how do they record the temperature and precipitation changes on Earth over hundreds, even thousands of years? What do we know, and how can we confirm the reliability of these insights? More importantly, how can we explain this complex uncertainty to the public? This lecture aims to bridge the complete chain of "research—verification—communication." The highlights include: not only will the experts dissect specific research methods, but they will also openly discuss the challenges of cross-validation between proxy indicators and instrumental records, and demonstrate how to explain "confidence intervals" and "multi-line of evidence" in plain language, helping the audience build a rational trust in climatology. Target audience: Students interested in paleoclimatology and Earth system science, media professionals or science communicators involved in climate communication, and the general public looking to enhance their scientific literacy. Viewing suggestions: It is recommended to familiarize yourself with the basic concepts of "isotope dating" and "dendrochronology" beforehand to better follow the discussion; also, be prepared with questions and pay attention to how the experts handle inquiries from the audience—this is where the essence of communication skills lies.