Many of us in the atmospheric sciences realize that in our work in recent years has become more the focus of contentious politics and partisan political debate. However, what many meteorologists and climatologists perhaps don't realize is that the study and forecasting of weather has had a long and often pronounced political aspect. Stories of the meteorological influence on politics and vice versa date back to ancient Roman days. For example, the esteemed Roman politician and lawyer Cicero, in a debate with his brother on the issue of national fortunetelling through lightning observations, noted wryly, "We regard lightning on the left hand as a most favorable omen, for everything except an election. No doubt this exception has been made to allow the rulers of the State political expediency to decide the correctness of an election for magistrates, judges or legislators."
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