The Weather Vane

Elon Musk has claimed that AI is humanity’s “biggest existential threat.” Paradoxically, Musk is also working to create artificial intelligence. Why? Jill Lepore tours through a century of imagined robot rebellions, and argues that these stories are never only about robots. So wh ... Show More

In 2022, Elon Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion, and renamed it X. When asked why he wanted to own the social media network, Musk talked a lot about something he called the “woke mind virus.” Where does the idea of a mind virus come from? Jill Lepore looks to Cold War science f ... Show More

The science fiction that Silicon Valley techno-billionaires like Elon Musk adore concerns gleaming futures in which fantastically powerful, immensely rich men colonize other planets. In this episode, Jill Lepore looks at some of the science fiction that’s usually left out of this ... Show More

Let’s face it: We cannot live without our weather forecasts. It’s the first thing we check most mornings — and when they’re wrong, we get pretty frustrated. But forecasting is actually the best it’s ever been! Harry learns the secrets to predicting the weather accurately and inve ... Show More

<p>Mes chers camarades, bien le bonjour !</p><p>Quand on fait de l’histoire, on est un peu obligé de s’intéresser au temps. Dans les deux sens du terme : la dimension temporelle, bien sûr, mesurée par toutes les civilisations à l’aide de clepsydres, horloges, sabliers… mais aussi ... Show More

<p>Meteorologists are as common as the clouds these days. Rolling onto the airwaves at morning, noon and night they tell us what to wear and where to plan our picnics. They’re local celebrities with an outsized influence. But in the 1940s, there was really only one of them: Irvin ... Show More

<p>How do weather people predict the weather and know what's going to happen tomorrow? Why is a meteorologist called a meteorologist? We learn about weather forecasting with National Weather Service Meteorologist Jessica Neiles and NBC5 Chief Meteorologist Tom Messner.</p> <p><s ... Show More

<p>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 t ... Show More

<p>Since the dawn of history humans have been intrigued by the weather. However while it has the potential to sustain or destroy life, our ability to accurately forecast it is very recent. In this podcast I am joined by meteorologists Evelyn Cusack and Noel Fitzpatrick to explain ... Show More

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