Interactive glossary

To help you understand the science behind the climateprediction.net project, we have developed an interactive glossary, called Magpie, which you can download free by following the instructions below. If you download the software, it will let you look up definations and useful links for the scientific words used in the climateprediction.net, and other, web pages.

What is Magpie?

Magpie is an experimental plug-in developed by the climateprediction.net team to help visitors to our website learn more about the climate science topics and relationships among them. Magpie is not restricted to work solely on our web site, but can be used on other websites which use climate science vocabulary. It works as a streamlined toolbar that sits within your web browser and enables you to find explanations of frequently used climate science terms as you come across them. Magpie works by highlighting words it recognises as coming from the fields of climatology, meteorology, physics and chemistry. For each highlighted item, Magpie provides a set of 'services' (e.g. explanations, examples, further links) when you right-click on the item.

Unfortunately, Magpie is currently only available for Internet Explorer - other versions are coming soon.

1. Download Magpie here (NB you will have to log in with administrative rights if using Windows XP)
2. Save the file, and follow the instructions given by the installation wizard
3. Re-start your Internet Explorer and you should have a Magpie icon on your toolbar.

• Click on the arrow to the right of the Magpie icon and choose 'load ontology' from the drop-down menu
• Choose climate-glossary.onto from the 'ontology store'
• Climatology, Meteorology, Physics and Chemistry should now appear on your toolbar
• Click on the coloured blob by each of these words, and any words on the web page you are browsing which Magpie identifies as coming from each of those subjects will be highlighted in the appropriate colour.
• If you click your right mouse button on any of the highlighted words, you have access to a short definition of the highlighted term as well as links to other material which use the word - either elsewhere on the web, or in the course notes for the Open University short course.