Weather Geeks

Geeking Out About “Wicked Weather”


Listen Later

Guest: Dr. Alexander Gates, Rutgers University - Newark

Weather doesn’t just shape our daily plans — sometimes, it shapes the course of history. From floods that altered empires to storms that changed the outcome of wars, extreme weather has quietly (and sometimes violently) rewritten the human story. Today, we’re joined by Dr. Alexander Gates, professor at Rutgers University–Newark and author of the upcoming book Wicked Weather. In it, he explores the natural disasters that didn’t just make headlines, but changed societies, politics, and the world as we know it. In this episode, we’ll talk about the historical storms, droughts, and disasters that left lasting marks on civilization, what those events teach us about risk and resilience, and why understanding the past may be one of our best tools for preparing for the future.

Chapters

  1. 00:00 - Introduction: Weather's historical influence on civilizations
  2. 00:32 - Dr. Gates’ background & inspiration for Wicked Weather
  3. 01:06 - How natural disasters shape human societies
  4. 03:29 - The significance of weather-related events like hurricanes, volcanoes, and earthquakes
  5. 06:37 - Most impactful natural disasters in history
  6. 07:30 - Volcanoes from 536-540 AD changing the global climate
  7. 09:24 - The hurricane that helped end the American Revolution
  8. 11:06 - Human decisions impacting disaster resilience
  9. 11:40 - Break 1
  10. 11:42 - Building resilience: lessons from historical events
  11. 13:19 - Climate change’s role in intensifying weather extremes
  12. 16:16 - Lessons from historical weather disasters on modern emergency preparedness
  13. 17:37 - How different types of disasters prompt societal change
  14. 20:44 - Responses to weather-related disasters in different countries
  15. 23:31 - Break 2
  16. 23:33 - The importance of societal response and adaptation
  17. 28:04 - The science behind storms and the importance of understanding natural causes
  18. 29:28 - Final reflections: societal resilience and future preparedness


See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Weather GeeksBy Weather Group Television

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

173 ratings


More shows like Weather Geeks

View all
Freakonomics Radio by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Freakonomics Radio

32,262 Listeners

Planet Money by NPR

Planet Money

30,715 Listeners

Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

Science Friday

6,438 Listeners

The American Birding Podcast by American Birding Association

The American Birding Podcast

668 Listeners

Pod Save America by Pod Save America

Pod Save America

87,980 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

113,075 Listeners

Up First from NPR by NPR

Up First from NPR

56,825 Listeners

Stay Tuned with Preet by Preet Bharara

Stay Tuned with Preet

32,418 Listeners

Ologies with Alie Ward by Alie Ward

Ologies with Alie Ward

24,552 Listeners

Today, Explained by Vox

Today, Explained

10,335 Listeners

The Climate Pod by The Climate Pod

The Climate Pod

295 Listeners

America Dissected by Incision Media LLC

America Dissected

4,481 Listeners

Short Wave by NPR

Short Wave

6,580 Listeners

Unexplainable by Vox

Unexplainable

2,316 Listeners

The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart by Comedy Central

The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart

10,914 Listeners