Third Pod from the Sun

It’s that time of year again where many scientists head out into the field, from far-flung locations to local backyards. In recognition of the lengths that some scientists go to to get answers to questions that only the field can provide, we’re sharing stories of science from quaking earth, to roaring winds, to choppy seas, and beyond!

And, as a special treat, head over to our newsmagazine Eos for their special issue this month, Out of office, featuring some of our interviewees talking about their fieldwork experiences.

This episode was produced by Shane M Hanlon, and mixed by Collin Warren. Artwork by Karen Romano Young.

Wildfires seem to be happening more often, and in 2020, Colorado experienced the worst fire season in its recorded history. Extreme fire events are often assumed to be caused by climate change, but it is not immediately clear this is the case. Heat, humidity, precipitation and wind speed all play a role in fire risk, and the exact way that these factors combine changes from day to day. Forest management practices and increased human activity in high-risk areas can also increase fire risk, and this makes it more challenging to pinpoint the reason why more fires are occurring. Colorado State University professor Dan Cooley has used multivariate statistical analysis of Fire Weather Index data to demonstrate that climate conditions in northern Colorado have changed in ways that make fires more likely to occur there – even if it is often impossible to attribute individual fires to this climactic shift.

This episode was produced by Ty and mixed by Collin Warren. Artwork by Jace Steiner. Find a companion to this episode from our friends over at Carry the Two. 

The different temperatures humans experience can be as localized as the variance from a suburban area to its urban center. The urban heat island effect - UHI for short - is one such danger. Cities are hotter due to concrete and asphalt absorbing and retaining heat, less tree cover, AC units pumping out hot air, and more. Most worrisome is how hot it remains at night, when bodies are trying to cool down and recover from hot daytime temps. Scientists like Angel Hsu are using data collected by satellites and citizens to translate these urban effects into numbers policymakers can use when leading climate change mitigation efforts on local levels.

This episode was produced by Jace Steiner and mixed by Collin Warren. Artwork by Jace Steiner

We all know the saying “history repeats itself” but to what extent is that true when it comes to Earth’s climate? In order to understand and even predict future climates, transitions from one historical climate state to another can be mathematically modeled by atmospheric scientists like Dr. Matthew Huber. However, there’s something special about how anthropogenic climate change is impacting climate transitions, and it’s Dr. Huber’s job to capture this oddity with math!

This episode was produced by Katrina Jackson and mixed by Collin Warren. Artwork by Jace Steiner. Find a companion to this episode from our friends over at Carry the Two. 

We’ve all probably heard about how climate change is affecting the ice sheets and polar bears, but what about human health? More severe and numerous floods, droughts, and heat waves impact a wide range of health outcomes, and shifting biomes may spread diseases to new places. How do scientists understand which portions of health effects are caused by climate change, and how can health organizations be prepared? To find out, we talked with Kristie Ebi, who founded the Center for Health and the Global Environment (CHanGE) at the University of Washington. In addition to the effects of climate change, Kris told us about how many of the mitigations for climate change—e.g. switching from coal to renewable power sources, creating more environmentally-friendly transportation systems, and reducing meat in our diets—will coincidentally improve public health. She also introduced us to the rap stylings of Baba Brinkman, whose song “Climate Hero” summarizes several of the points Kris made in our episode.

This episode was produced by Katrina Jackson and mixed by Collin Warren. Artwork by Jace Steiner. Find a companion to this episode from our friends over at Carry the Two.  

“Climate Hero” and other science raps by Baba Brinkman will be released via Spotify and other streaming services soon on a forthcoming science rap album, which can be previewed here: https://music.bababrinkman.com/album/rapsode.

Jane Baldwin is a storm chaser, only her mode of chasing is computational modeling using multiple streams of data. As an Assistant Professor of Earth System Science at UC Irvine, she models how hurricanes and other natural hazards respond to atmospheric dynamics. We talked to Jane about the challenge of forecasting not just the damage to buildings from cyclones, but also the economic and social impacts. And how climate change factors into the outcomes.

This episode was produced by Devin Reese and mixed by Collin Warren. Artwork by Jace Steiner. Find a companion to this episode from our friends over at Carry the Two. 

The Earth's oceans play a crucial role in regulating the planet's climate by absorbing and storing vast amounts of heat and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. However, due to human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, the oceans are warming at an alarming rate. This increase in ocean temperature is causing a range of devastating impacts, from more frequent and severe storms to rising sea levels and bleached coral reefs.

To better understand the complex interplay between ocean warming and its impact on land, scientists like Maike Sonnewald are using climate models to simulate and predict changes in ocean currents and temperatures. These models allow researchers to analyze how different factors, such as greenhouse gas emissions, ocean circulation patterns, and solar radiation, influence ocean warming and its effects on the Earth's climate system. Through these efforts, scientists hope to develop strategies to mitigate the harmful consequences of ocean warming and protect vulnerable communities and ecosystems.

This episode was produced by Anupama Chandrasekaran, and mixed by Collin Warren. Artwork by Jace Steiner.

Are you a math person? Does thinking about math make your head hurt? Well, we hate to break it to you, but we’re all math people! Math is part of our everyday lives, whether we realize it or not. And math is a crucial part of understanding our climate and climate change. In recognition of this reality, we’re kicking off a special collaboration with the Institute for Mathematical and Statistical Innovation and their podcast, Carry the Two, exploring how math and climate intersect. Join us every Friday on our feed and then head over to Carry the Two the following Tuesday to hear more from our guest on the mathematical side of things.

This episode was produced by Shane M Hanlon, and mixed by Collin Warren. Artwork by Karen Romano Young.

Peter Falcon is an Earth Science communications specialist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory with an atypical background: behavioral science. As a communications specialist, Peter acts as a liaison between NASA projects – such as the CloudSat program – and students, teachers, and the general public. Peter sits down with us to talk about his academic upbringing, the important role family has played in his life and career, and how every moment builds toward the potential of our character.

This episode was produced by Zoe Swiss and Shane M Hanlon, and mixed by Collin Warren. Artwork by Karen Romano Young. Interview conducted by Ashley Hamer. 

Hashima Hasan is the program scientist for NASA’s James Webb, XP, and NuSTAR telescopes, helping to bring those missions from cradle to grave. Hashima followed the space race closely growing up in India, which inspired her to navigate into the sciences from a world where girls were told that they couldn’t. She talked with us about writing simulation software for Hubble, troubleshooting its first blurry images, and spending 9/11 on lockdown in DC while choosing where the James Webb Space Telescope would one day be built. 

This episode was produced by Zoe Swiss and Shane M Hanlon, and mixed by Collin Warren. Artwork by Karen Romano Young. Interview conducted by Jason Rodriguez.