Travelling with isotopes: radiocarbon dating and the interdisciplinarization of climate science
Journal
The British Journal for the History of Science
Type
Article
Date Issued
2026-07-10
Author(s)
Abstract
The history of post-war climate science has been written with a strong focus on the role of global geopolitics and climate models. In this article, I will broaden this perspective with a smaller-scale approach and a different technology. Drawing on the history of a radiocarbon dating laboratory in Switzerland, I show, on one hand, how local political and cultural contexts could influence the development of climate science and, on the other, how research technology beyond computer modelling also played a crucial role in this development. I argue that such a smaller-scale approach can help us to better understand the process of the interdisciplinarization of climate science, as well as the role of technology in this process.
Language
English
Keywords
History of Science
History of Technology
History of Climate Science
Radiocarbon dating
Interdisciplinarity
Ice Core Palaeoclimatology
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Volume
first view
Start page
1
End page
21
Pages
21
Subject(s)
Division(s)
File(s)![Thumbnail Image]()
open.access
Name
Achermann (2026)_Travelling with isotopes.pdf
Size
1.44 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
2575d3e652e483482a64bc4f12199e02