In 1864, he and some fellow Victorian notables launched a weekly scientific journal called The Reader, which disbanded after two years. Galton then analyzed the data for recognizable patterns of cause and effect, and in the process discovered the phenomenon known as an 'anticyclone.'īut perhaps Galton's greatest contribution to weather forecasting was inventing some of the first weather maps that included wind speed arrows, temperature discs, and simple symbols for rain and sunshine.Įven some of Galton's notable early failures became wild successes.

In 1861, he set up a system by which meteorologists across Europe collected weather data - temperature, wind speed and direction, barometric pressure - three times a day at the exact same hours for a month.

Galton approached the problem like he would dozens of others in his career: He went out and collected data. If you think today's weather forecasts are bad, imagine how awful they were in the 1850s when The Times of London began publishing the first predictions of tomorrow's weather. Then he began to indulge his scientific curiosity on all manner of subjects still in their scientific infancy.įirst was a fascination with meteorology. Galton wrote that she was 'as capable of leaving a mark on anything she touched as a well-inked printer's roller.' The king, needless to say, told Galton to scram.īack in London, Galton wrote a popular account of his African travels as well as how-to guides for would-be adventurers. Galton had her ' ejected with scant ceremony,' as he put it, less for moral reasons than a concern about staining his white linen suit. After attempting to win passage through a tribal king's land by presenting him with cheap gifts, Galton returned to his tent to find the king's own peace offering, a nude young woman smeared in butter and ochre dye.

He proved less successful, however, at international diplomacy. During his African journeys, Galton showed a real talent for the detailed measurements of mapmaking, hinting at the patient dedication to data collection would serve him well throughout his career.

Galton and darwin