Could Global Warming Impact Modern Science?

Modern science, at its heart, requires both theoretical models and experimental investigations of the physical world to test our understanding. Usually, these experiments provide new surprises and questions, which begin anew the hunt for answers -such is the march of scientific progress. Generally, we have seen the cost of doing science go up year after year. Whether we are exploring the biggest physics questions, for example detecting the fundamental particles of the universe, or the small ones that can be explored on a benchtop or in a single lab room, modern experiments require sometimes large, but often complicated components involving an entire global supply chain of rare materials, machined parts, electrical wires, to name a few, and large sources of reliable energy. As the climate continues to change, disruption of these supply chains from global warming and repeated extreme weather events around the world could pose a threat to performing modern scientific investigation. Because our modern society relies on science for solutions that uphold our technological lifestyles, it seems prudent to imagine how scientific progress can remain robust on a changing Earth System.