Solar geoengineering — the idea of cooling the planet by deflecting the sun’s rays — is so risky that scientists and policy experts can’t even agree on whether to research it.
This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Matt Collette and Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Paul Robert Mounsey, and hosted by Noel King.
Transc ... Show More
Today
Our Great Big AI Freakout
Fears of impending AI doom have burst into the mainstream. They still might not be enough for Washington to regulate AI. This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger and Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Jolie Myers, fact checked by Danielle Hewitt and Peter Balonon-Rosen, engineered by D ... Show More
25m 39s
Oct 2018
How to cool the planet with a fake volcano
When volcanoes erupt, they spray particles into the atmosphere that cool the planet for a bit. As we get closer and closer to truly catastrophic global warming, more and more scientists are wondering whether a similar approach, called solar geoengineering, could be necessary. If ... Show More
22m 58s
Sep 2020
#32: Billionaire plan to geoengineer the planet; how the moon affects your health; Neuralink’s telepathic pigs
If we’re not going to make the effort to cut carbon emissions, why don’t we manipulate Earth’s climate, forcing it to cool down? Obviously that’s not ideal - but geoengineering, one the most controversial proposals to combat climate change, is back in the spotlight this week.
In ... Show More
34m 3s
Apr 2024
An Engineering Experiment to Cool the Earth
<p>Decades of efforts to cut carbon emissions have failed to significantly slow the rate of global warming, so scientists are now turning to bolder approaches.</p><p>Christopher Flavelle, who writes about climate change for The Times, discusses efforts to engineer our way out of ... Show More
28m 4s
Sep 2023
Stopping geoengineering, by accident
Solar geoengineering is a hot (er, cool?) topic these days. One method involves injecting a form of sulfur into the atmosphere to reflect solar radiation and help reduce global temperatures. But it could also cause unpredictable changes to ozone, rainfall, and ecosystems. So when ... Show More
45m 25s