WeatherBrains 61: “Balloon Brains”
WeatherBrains Episode 61 is now online (March 26, 2007)
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In this week’s episode:
– “Smart Balloons” — The next generation of weather balloons not only gather data, but they know where they are, and can control their own flight. Kevin Selle talks with Randy Johnson, a high flying NOAA researcher;
– Understanding Tornadoes: Back from the Southeast Severe Storms Symposium, WeatherBrains crew members Brian Peters, Jason Simpson and J.B. Elliott reflect on what’s being learned about these amazing and deadly storms;
– The Warning Process: What has impact and what doesn’t. Printed messages carry valuable information, but nothing beats live pictures to make people take tornadoes seriously;
– A tough job but somebody’s got to do it – From fried catfish to mouth watering barbecue to homemade pies and cookies, we learn of the culinary sacrifices the WeatherBrains crew has to endure just to attend the Severe Storms Symposium (yea, right!);
– This Week in Weather History: Bill Murray looks at amazing and deadly weather from this week in 1932 when severe weather pounded the Southeast (including tornadoes that struck the same location twice), from 1977 when fog helped cause the deadliest commercial aviation accident in history and from 1994 when a tornado struck the Goshen United Methodist Church in Piedmont, Alabama, killing 20 people;
Websites featured in this Episode:
False alarm presentation paper.
EF scale for tornado damage.
Forecast “Hot Seat”.
Join David Black, J.B. Elliott, Jason Simpson, Brian Peters and Kevin Selle…
We would like to hear from you! To leave a recorded message, call 1-888-247-8627. Some calls may be used during future episodes. And, feel free to post comments on this site…
– “The Perverted Agenda” — Climate scientist Dr. Timothy Ball, seen here at a speech in 2003, lashes out at the United Nations Panel on Climate Change for its stand on man-made global warming;
– Pretty but stinky! Kevin Selle follows up on that Bradford Pear tree mystery and finds out why they smell so bad;
