(Re)(De)bugging tragedies with Hector

In this presentation, I will discuss my research into the simple climate model Hector, which calculates temperature change based on the impact of various climate scenarios. More specifically, I will discuss how an artistic-led approach through (un)voluntary-caused computational bugs can help document the model's logic and socio-political implications. I will describe methods for collective 'debugging' to produce transdisciplinary knowledge (beyond solely scientific inquiry) to foster conversation about the potential and limits of current climate infrastructure to foster concrete climate actions. This research investigates the field of climate science through artistic practice, software and infrastructure studies, and participatory methods. To expand on the role of bugs in my investigation, I will elaborate on concrete examples of differences in perception of 'error' in the fields of arts and science, looking at case studies where mistakes or glitches have been valorised and mobilised through artistic practice to grapple with, appropriate, and/or repurpose scientific instruments.