The seeded cloud

Discovery

BBC

Science, Technology

4.3 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 21 September 2020

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

"Could you make a machine to make it rain in minutes?" asks listener Alexander from Hampshire, aged 12. For this series, with lockdown learning in mind, Drs Rutherford and Fry are investigating scientific mysteries for students of all ages. Rutherford and Fry dive into the clouded story of weather modification. First, we need to decide where and when we might deploy any rain machine. Liz Bentley, Chief Executive of the Royal Meteorological society, takes us through the science, maths and art of predicting the weather. Hannah heads down to the BBC Weather Centre to meet meteorologist Helen Willetts, who takes us through the highs and lows of forecasting. And then for the technology itself. Mark Miodownik, scientist and author of Liquid: The Delightful and Dangerous Substances The Flow Through Our Lives, reveals that a technique called cloud seeding has almost certainly been tried in different places around the world for decades. But, whilst it’s supposed to induce showers and even clear the way for sunny spells, the results aren’t always reliable. And even if we can make it rain, Liz explains why messing with the weather may be at our peril. Presenters: Hannah Fry, Adam Rutherford Producer: Jen Whyntie

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and welcome back to the curious cases of Rutherford and Fry on Discovery for the BBC
0:05.3	This is the show where you send us in questions of things that you have always wondered the things you've always been curious about and
0:11.6	We investigate them using the power of
0:15.4	science. So please do send us your curious cases the things that have always
0:19.2	bothered you which we think we might be able to help out with using the power of science to curious cases at
0:25.1	BBC.co.uk.
0:27.0	The sun is shining, there's not a cloud in the sky.
0:35.0	Which doesn't necessarily please everyone.
0:37.5	Our question today comes from 12-year-old Alexander, who we think is only happy when it rains.
0:41.5	Yes, he wrote to our email curious cases at
0:44.0	BBC.cote at UK with the question is there a machine to make it rain? Now this seems simple enough to me. Surely rain is simply water falling from the sky.
1:02.0	Is it now my simple-minded friend?
1:04.0	Okay, where does rain come from then, Adam?
1:06.0	Rain comes from clouds?
1:08.0	And what are clouds? Clouds?
1:09.0	Clouds are gassy water in the sky.
1:11.0	Yeah, but water in the sky doesn't always make clouds and clouds don't always make
1:14.1	rain. Okay you'll go slow down one thing at a time please. Okay so you can have water in the
1:18.5	atmosphere without any clouds. Can you? Yeah, of course you can. It can be humid without clouds in the sky.
1:24.1	So what makes a cloud then?
1:26.5	Will. I can actually show you. Can you? Yes I can. Thank you for asking.
1:30.8	Anyone can do this in fact. This is a classic home demonstration, but you can do this in fact this is a classic home demonstration but you can make a
	...

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