Climate 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

Sarah Crespi and Katie Langin examine assisted migration: replanting forests after wildfire with trees suited to the warmer conditions expected in coming decades. Susana Monsó, associate professor in logic, history and philosophy of science at Spain’s National University of Distance Education, then discusses how philosophical analysis contributes to scientific work, from defining concepts to formulating research questions. Produced with help from Podigy; published 17 September 2026, with a running time of 37 minutes and 28 seconds.

Hosted by Sarah Crespi

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

Sarah Crespi and Richard Stone discuss the spread of disease-carrying Hyalomma ticks as the climate changes, drawing on reporting from Kosovo and the role of surveillance. Evolutionary ecologist Veronika Bókony then explains research on agile frogs whose development changes with temperature, including the reproductive consequences for genetically female frogs that develop male traits. The episode connects climate, disease ecology and amphibian reproduction. The publisher supplies a transcript and external audio.

Hosted by Sarah Crespi

This episode examines whether manufacturing pharmaceuticals and biomedical materials in microgravity can become practical, with Julia Vaz and Michael Greshko. Kevin McLean speaks with Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen about narwhals collecting oceanographic measurements that reveal Atlantic warming in East Greenland fjords. In the book segment, Angela Saini interviews Priyambada Jayakumar about her biography of agricultural scientist M. S. Swaminathan. The publisher provides a full transcript and external audio.

Hosted by Sarah Crespi, Angela Saini

Nature reporters explain why record ocean temperatures associated with an intensifying El Niño could weaken marine carbon sinks. The episode also covers radiation protection for astronauts, thunder-based underground geology and experimental mitochondrial injections for vision loss.

This bonus crossover from Inflection Point examines carbon-capture approaches, their history and the limits of their contribution to climate mitigation. The discussion includes ocean-based approaches and the chemical processes involved. It is the publisher’s syndicated episode in the Stereo Chemistry feed, rather than a separate new recording.

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

Polar scientist Sarah Das describes fieldwork on the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, from expedition logistics and ice-core drilling to transporting frozen samples to the laboratory. The conversation explains how ice cores preserve climate records and how repeated visits reveal retreating glacier margins and earlier melt seasons. It connects the practical work of glaciology with measured changes in polar landscapes.

Hosted by Madison Goldberg

Sarah Das explains how polar ice sheets, sea ice and mountain glaciers respond to climate warming. Drawing on decades of research in Antarctica and Greenland, the episode examines ice-sheet mass balance, glacier flow, satellite measurements and the consequences of ice loss for sea level and communities. It connects observations of rapidly changing frozen landscapes with their global effects.

Hosted by Madison Goldberg

Anne Karin Sæther discusses Norway's petroleum history and the tensions between oil exports and climate commitments. Conversation in Norwegian.

Knut Kjær discusses taxes, regulation and investment incentives intended to reduce emissions and support a transition to lower-carbon technologies. Conversation in Norwegian.

Reidar Müller discusses Earth's climate history and how past changes relate to questions about present human influence. Conversation in Norwegian.

Arild Midthun discusses creating comics and communicating environmental concerns through illustrated stories. Conversation in Norwegian.

Nina Jensen discusses ocean warming, acidification and other human pressures on marine environments. Conversation in Norwegian.

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

Dag Hessen discusses environmental tipping points and the connections between climate change and biodiversity loss. Conversation in Norwegian.

Anja Røyne discusses approaches to cutting emissions and removing atmospheric carbon dioxide. Conversation in Norwegian.

Karine Nyborg discusses economic approaches to reducing fossil-fuel use and greenhouse-gas emissions. Conversation in Norwegian.

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