The Future of Everything cover image

The Future of Everything

The future of climate projection

Nov 8, 2024
Aditi Sheshadri, a Professor of Earth Systems Science at Stanford University, dives into the fascinating world of climate projection. She distinguishes between climate models and weather forecasts, explaining how projections look a century ahead while forecasts focus on the near future. Discover the 'window of chaos' phenomenon, where small changes lead to significant climate variations. Aditi also discusses innovative data collection methods, including low-cost balloons and AI, reshaping our understanding of climate trends and informing critical policymaking.
29:05

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Climate projection differs from weather forecasting by focusing on long-term trends and averages rather than specific short-term events.
  • Advancements in climate modeling through innovative data collection and AI are enhancing the accuracy and understanding of climatic systems.

Deep dives

Understanding Climate Projection

Climate projection is distinct from weather forecasting and focuses on long-term trends rather than specific events. It involves modeling the Earth's atmosphere by conserving mass, momentum, and energy across spatial boxes, typically around 100 kilometers on each side. Unlike weather predictions, which can rely on real-time data to forecast specifics over days, climate projections look at averages and long-term statistics, asking questions like what average conditions will be in the future and the frequency of events like cyclones. This approach allows scientists to estimate changes over decades, providing valuable insights into climate behavior and potential shifts.

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