Science has come a long way with predicting climate. Increasingly sophisticated models and instruments can zero in on a specific storm formation or make detailed weather forecasts -- all useful to our daily lives. But to understand global climate change, scientists need more than just a one-day forecast. They need a deeper understanding of the complex and interrelated forces that shape climate.

This is where modern physics can help, argues Brad Marston, professor of physics at Brown University. Marston is working on sets of equations that can be used to more accurately explain climate patterns.  He makes the case that statistical physics can provide a better understanding of global weather patterns -- information critical for more accurately predicting climate change.

"Climate is a statement about the statistics of weather, not the day-to-day or minute-by-minute fluctuations," Marston said. "That's really the driving concept. We know we can't predict the weather more than a couple of weeks out. But we can turn that to our advantage, by using statistical physics to look directly at the climate itself." 

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