Temperatures during the past few millennia

Abstract

A recurring theme in most of Isaac Asimov’s science-fiction novels is the search for historical roots in the fog that obscures the past. These books have been very successful and are very readable, partly because they are well conceived and well written, but also because they evoke an empathetic response from our natural desire to understand our origins and roots. Similarly, the history of climatic variations leaves behind a fog that is difficult to penetrate. Many incredibly ingenious proxy methods have been devised to peer into the past.