DOES SCIENTIFIC ADVANCE GIVE ACASO? KNOWLEDGE OF THE ATMOSPHERE IN THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Abstract

By means of examples, it was tried to demonstrate that for the understanding of the evolution of the knowledge in the atmospheric sciences it is of paramount importance to consider not only the physical mechanisms, but also the historical context in which certain knowledge was reached. This is justified by the fact that the advances of Science reflect the historical moment and thus the political, economic, social and cultural values, as well as the needs of humanity, at a given moment. The first knowledge of the behaviour of the atmosphere occurred in the field of agriculture and had empirical basis; however, speculation dominated atmospheric knowledge for a long time. At other times, observation, experimentation, and theory drove advances in the area. Being a strategic knowledge, the understanding of atmospheric processes was intrinsically associated with several crucial historical events, such as the great navigations in the Modern Age and wars: the theory of fronts, for example, was developed during World War I, being its name an analogy to the battle fronts. Nowadays studies acquire a more integrated nature but are still dominated by political and even geopolitical interests.