Atmospheric Science podcasts

John Platt discusses how Google’s applied-science team chooses problems where AI can make a useful contribution. Topics include satellite-based detection and prediction of aircraft contrails, evaluation of rerouting trials, limitations of physical simulation, and the role of AI agents in scientific modelling and data work. The conversation also examines overfitting, action incentives, gradient-free optimisation, SMO and support-vector machines, the physical constraints on scaling, and opportunities for robotics and manufacturing to support climate technology. It concludes with FireSat’s approach to detecting small wildfires from orbit and the practical issues of coverage, cost and false positives.

Hosted by Ravid Shwartz Ziv, Allen Roush

Chris Smith presents a science-news episode examining how artificial intelligence could be misused to develop biological weapons and how researchers and regulators are responding. The programme also covers long-lasting genetic scars after childhood chemotherapy, ultra-strong ice as a possible construction material, and methods for tracking weather patterns on distant planets.

Hosted by Chris Smith

Chris Smith and Rachael Ralph explore the mechanisms and forecasting of El Niño and its consequences for weather, livelihoods and health. Contributions from Aidan McGivern and Peter Gibbs explain the climate dynamics; Vicky Pryce discusses economic disruption; Rachel Tolhurst and Teresa Zakaria examine health vulnerabilities and preparedness. The episode connects climate science with the decisions facing public-health services and communities.

Hosted by Chris Smith, Rachael Ralph

University of Arizona planetary scientist Daniel Apai joins Tim Swindle to discuss the Pandora Space Telescope and its potential to reveal the properties of exoplanets and their atmospheres. This Arizona Science episode examines the scientific questions addressed by the observatory as it returns data from Earth orbit. Published on 10 September 2026; listen through Arizona Public Media’s episode page.

Hosted by Tim Swindle

Melissa and Jam trace the chemistry of refrigerants from early hazardous compounds to chlorofluorocarbons and their replacements. They explain why a substance that cools effectively can still create environmental problems, and discuss the tradeoffs among ozone protection, climate effects, flammability and regulation.

Hosted by Melissa, Jam

Climate scientist Mathew Barlow explains why warming can intensify both drought and extreme rainfall. The episode follows water through a warmer atmosphere, connecting increased moisture capacity and evaporation with dry soils and stronger downpours. It distinguishes changes in average conditions from the most damaging extremes and discusses why infrastructure faces growing flood risks.

Hosted by Madison Goldberg

Samantha Burgess explains how researchers estimate the Earth’s temperature and monitor a changing climate. The episode examines the observations and international scientific collaboration behind global temperature records, and the work involved in assessing the planet’s changing conditions rather than treating a single local measurement as a global answer.

Hosted by Madison Goldberg

Elfatih Eltahir explains how regional climate models can incorporate disease, population and other local conditions to guide adaptation. Drawing on work in the Nile Basin and Singapore, he discusses the limitations of global predictions, his Equation of the Future of Africa, and outdoor days as a more tangible measure of climate impacts.

Hosted by Steven Strogatz, Janna Levin

Eirik Valseth discusses mathematical models of weather and storm surges and the computations used to make forecasts. Conversation in Norwegian.

Bjørn Samset discusses the consequences of greenhouse-gas emissions and pathways for addressing climate change. Conversation in Norwegian.

Pål Brekke discusses the physics of auroras and Kristian Birkeland's role in explaining their origin. Conversation in Norwegian.

Bjørn H. Samset explains the physical processes that shape climate and how greenhouse-gas emissions affect them. Conversation in Norwegian.