The science of extreme weather -- and how to reduce the harm | Al Roker, Al Gore, David Biello and Latif Nasser

11/23/21 • 5 min

2 Listeners

Floods, droughts, heat waves and cold blasts -- why is the weather becoming more extreme? Environmentalist and "America's weatherman" Al Roker discusses the link between climate change and disruptions to weather patterns worldwide, followed by a conversation between Nobel laureate Al Gore and TED science curator David Biello about the science of extreme weather and emerging solutions to reduce the risk of these events. (This segment, introduced by radio researcher Latif Nasser, was part of TED's Countdown Global Livestream on October 30, 2021.)

Previous Episode

The problem of vaccine spoilage -- and a smart sensor to help | Nithya Ramanathan

Refrigerators do much more than store your groceries -- they're also vital to preserving and distributing vaccines. Illustrating the realities of (and threats to) global vaccine supply chains, technologist and TED Fellow Nithya Ramanathan describes how smart sensors placed in fridges that store medical supplies can provide crucial, real-time data and ensure people get the life-saving care they need.

Next Episode

A king cobra bite -- and a scientific discovery | Gowri Shankar

A king cobra has enough venom to kill 10 people in a single bite. Recounting his near-death experience after being bitten by one of these majestic yet deadly snakes, conservationist and TED Fellow Gowri Shankar shares the epiphany he had when the antivenom failed: there's more than one unique species of king cobra.