Seeker+'s video: Controlling the Weather Isn t Science Fiction

The idea of controlling the weather sounds like an evil plan hatched by a James Bond villain, but it’s closer to reality than you might think. In this episode, we deep dive into the ways people have tried to harness the weather, be it for good or nefarious purposes. » Subscribe to Seeker+! https://bit.ly/SeekerPlusSubscribe (then hit the little 🔔 icon and select “all.“) » Watch more! http://bit.ly/SeekerPlusPlaylist » Visit our shop at http://shop.seeker.com Here’s a true story that once made headlines, but today is little remembered: In the 60s, war was raging in Vietnam and the U.S. military thought “Well this isn’t going our way; maybe we should try something a little more unconventional?”, which usually doesn’t end well. Their idea was to start a clandestine operation to extend the monsoon season in Vietnam by releasing silver and lead iodide into an existing storm. By making more rain, the goal was to increase flooding, thereby disrupting troop movement and the delivery of supplies for the North Vietnamese. The “enemy” would be destabilized and the U.S. would win the war. “Make mud, not war” was even an unofficial catchphrase used by the pilots on these cloud-seeding missions. These missions were dubbed "Operation Popeye." They went on for five years before the public found out about them and the cloud seeding stopped. While there's no confirmation that these missions had any real effect, we can confirm what was happening in the skies based on atmospheric science and previous lab experiments. The U.S. isn’t the only country to dabble in weather modification, but it’s not always used for nefarious purposes. See, after Operation Popeye, weather modification was banned from being used in warfare. However, it’s still allowed when it comes to peaceful purposes. -- Read More: With Operation Popeye, the U.S. government made weather an instrument of war https://www.popsci.com/operation-popeye-government-weather-vietnam-war/ “Though it cycled through several names in its history, “Operation Popeye” stuck. Its stated objective—to ensure Americans won the Vietnam War—was never realized, but the revelation that the U.S. government played God with weather-altering warfare changed history.” Does cloud seeding really work? An experiment above Idaho suggests humans can turbocharge snowfall https://www.science.org/content/article/does-cloud-seeding-really-work-experiment-above-idaho-suggests-humans-can-turbocharge “Cloud seeding—sowing clouds with small particles to make them rain or snow—has a reputation as dodgy as the weather. That's because even though scientists have been seeding clouds since the 1940s, there was precious little proof the technique worked. Now, researchers flying two small planes through a bank of clouds in Idaho have shown, for the first time outside the lab, that humans can artificially turbocharge snowfall.” Geoengineering: Can we control the weather? https://www.livescience.com/geoengineering-the-weather “As modern technology advances and our understanding of meteorological processes grows, scientists are discovering new ways to control the weather. Instead of succumbing to nature's schedule, projects are in place to make the skies rain, remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and prevent extreme weather events such as hurricanes and flooding.” -- Seeker+ is your home for deep dives, fun facts, rabbit holes, and more. Join host Julian Huguet as he unapologetically nerds out on the oddball history, astounding science and intriguing future around topics that will make you the smartest person at your next trivia night. -- Seeker empowers the curious to understand the science shaping our world. We tell award-winning stories about the natural forces and groundbreaking innovations that impact our lives, our planet, and our universe. Follow us on TikTok: tiktok.com/@seeker Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/seeker/ Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/seeker