Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford The Man Who Played With Hurricanes
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Jun 23, 2023 The podcast dives into the intriguing world of weather manipulation, where early pioneers like Irving Langmuir aimed to make deserts bloom and redirect hurricanes. It discusses the initial optimism surrounding geoengineering and contrasts it with the ethical dilemmas and controversies faced today. Through historical experiments, including cloud seeding and hurricane manipulation, it explores humanity's complex relationship with nature and the evolving perception of our ability to control the climate in the face of climate change challenges.
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GE's Research Culture
- General Electric encouraged its scientists to pursue any research.
- Irving Langmuir, a brilliant but absent-minded scientist, thrived in this environment.
From Wartime Research to Snow Making
- During wartime research, Langmuir and Schaefer studied ice formation on airplane wings.
- This sparked their interest in manipulating weather, leading to the discovery of dry ice's snow-inducing properties.
The Snowstorm and Legal Concerns
- Initial experiments generated significant snowfall, causing disruptions and legal concerns for GE.
- The US military then took over the weather control experiments.
