logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2022
27m 49s

The weather changers

Bbc World Service
About this episode

For centuries we've made sacrifices, sent prayers to gods and summoned witches, in an attempt to bend the weather to our will. Science suggests now we might actually be able to do it. Weather modifiers are employed to make it rain, suppress hail and enhance snow packs. It is big business, from the UAE to Chile, Thailand to China, interest and investment is global. Kim Chakanetsa asks what the weather changers are actually doing, if it really works and if so, is it problem free?

Up next
Today
Brazil's Miracle: an Indigenous disaster
During the Brazilian military dictatorship, the Krenak indigenous people were banned from speaking their language, imprisoned in reformatories and forcibly displaced from their land. In 2024, the State asked them for forgiveness. Can it be granted? Journalist Pūlama Kaufman trave ... Show More
49m 32s
Yesterday
Tackling loneliness in India
India is known for its close knit families and communities, but modern work practices mean more and more people are living far from home, and suffering from loneliness. Reporter Sumedha Pal in Dehli shares the stories of some of the people in India who are trying to find creative ... Show More
26m 28s
Yesterday
Trump and autism: People affected speak out
President Donald Trump recently addressed what he described as the “horrible crisis” in autism, and rapid rise in reported cases over the last two decades. Previously, he has suggested a link between some vaccines and autism, and in his latest remarks, he warned pregnant women to ... Show More
22m 58s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 24
Pourquoi Pékin a-t-elle un Bureau des modifications météorologiques ?
Rediffusion Le fatalisme observé depuis toujours face aux éléments n'est plus de mise au XXIe siècle. En effet, il existe aujourd'hui des techniques permettant d'influer sur le temps.Certains pays se sont même dotés, pour atteindre ce but, de structures ad hoc. C'est notamment le ... Show More
2m 3s
Aug 2022
Can we engineer rain to help solve climate change?
From the Aztecs to the Zoroastrians, humans have always prayed for rain. We’ve tried dances, ritual sacrifices and even blowing up the sky to boost rainfall. This might sound crazy but desperate times call for desperate measures. Climate change is making people desperate again, i ... Show More
27m 25s
Feb 2020
What’s the weirdest weather?
Weather: wet, dry, cold, hot, sunny, windy or downright weird - there’s nothing quite like it as a conversation starter, from Austin to Jakarta. And judging from the large volume of emails about all things meteorological in the CrowdScience inbox, there’s plenty to talk about. Wh ... Show More
37m 1s
Nov 2015
How do meteorologists predict the weather?
There’s all sorts of weather happening right now around the world. Rain, sun, wind, snow… you name it, somewhere it’s happening. It may seem hard to keep track of it all, but scientists have it figured out. We’ll find out how they collect data on weather around the globe and turn ... Show More
23m 58s
Dec 2020
EP 4: Is it too late to stop climate change?
Climate change is the most daunting challenge of our time. Tackling it will require unprecedented amounts of innovation, investment, and global cooperation. Are we actually making progress yet? Can we really stop the worst effects of climate change? In this week’s episode, Bill a ... Show More
50m 22s
Aug 2022
Can we control the weather?
This summer, countries across the world have experienced extreme weather events. Flash floods have killed people in South Korea, Uganda, Australia and the US state of Kentucky, and heatwaves have broken records across Western Europe, North America and Japan. However, countries ac ... Show More
24m 37s
Jun 2023
The Man Who Played With Hurricanes
Today, the idea of controlling the weather is controversial. Scientists who research geoengineering have even received death threats. But once upon a time, people were optimistic about remaking the climate in entire regions of the world. They approached this science with a touchi ... Show More
38m 2s
Aug 2023
The wide-ranging effects of climate change
This week China hit a record high temperature, a scorching 52.2°C, while Death Valley in California measured 53.9°C. Elsewhere, Europe has been battling searing heat and raging wildfires. In previous editions of Inside Science we’ve explored the effects of heat on our health. Thi ... Show More
32m 40s
Apr 2023
La Chine peut-elle réussir sa transition climatique ?
**** Recevez gratuitement tous les mardis l'infolettre Chaleur humaine en vous inscrivant ici **** La Chine est devenue en 2005 le premier émetteur mondial de gaz à effet de serre, et joue donc un rôle de premier plan dans le réchauffement climatique. Mais elle a aussi pris l'eng ... Show More
32m 7s
Nov 2022
HIBT Lab! Tomorrow.io: Shimon Elkabetz
Our planet is warming, and many parts of the world are not equipped to accurately predict the heat waves, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires and floods that are becoming more frequent and intense due to the changing climate. Former Israeli Air Force pilot Shimon Elkabetz knows the ... Show More
40m 46s