Physical Oceanography podcasts

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

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.

Esther Sumner describes direct observations of turbidity currents and the challenge of instrumenting active submarine canyons. Smart boulders and acoustic current measurements reveal how these large, long-lasting underwater flows transport sediment. The discussion includes an underwater robot’s accidental encounter with an active current in California’s Mendocino Canyon.

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