|
When Dubai got a year’s worth of rain in a single day last week, causing severe flooding, many early reports suggested humanmade “cloud seeding” was to blame. One of the world’s most artificial places, flooded by a rainstorm of its own creation? It was hard not to smirk.
But while the rain and the flooding was all too real, the cloud seeding connection was not. Though Dubai has indeed dabbled in artificial rainmaking, it can’t do anything on this scale. That’s according to Richard Washington, a climate scientist at the University of Oxford who specialises in hot and dry environments and was involved in early cloud seeding experiments back in the 1990s.
Washington explains how rainmaking works and writes about his time flying a cloud-seeding Learjet through thunderclouds. He says a “perfect storm” converged over Dubai – and it was far too big to be artificial.
Meanwhile, the world’s oldest conjoined twins have died, aged 62. We look at how they managed to live long and successful lives despite being joined at the skull. And archaeologists are realising that Stonehenge was built to be aligned to
the Moon as well as the Sun.
|
|
Will de Freitas
Environment + Energy Editor
|
|
The storm over Dubai, April 2024.
Ali Haider / EPA
Richard Washington, University of Oxford
Some parts of the Gulf experienced 18 months of rain in a single day.
|
Lori and George Schappell in Times Square, greeting fans.
Associated Press/Alamy Stock Photo
Adam Taylor, Lancaster University
World’s oldest living conjoined twins – Lori and George Schappell – have died aged 62.
|
Stonehenge during winter solstice sunset
Chuta Kooanantkul/Shutterstock
Fabio Silva, Bournemouth University; Amanda Chadburn, Bournemouth University; Erica Ellingson, University of Colorado Boulder
The monument’s ancient connection to the skies may run even deeper than we realised.
|
World
|
-
Ben Soodavar, King's College London
How far the violent exchanges between Israel and Iran will escalate may well hinge on how strong the two sides’ leader need to appear to their own people.
-
Lee John Curley, Glasgow Caledonian University
Jury selection for the former US president’s trial has been lengthy.
-
Stefan Wolff, University of Birmingham
President Xi is looking to play a wider international role, meetings with other national leaders suggest.
|
|
Politics + Society
|
-
Jessica Hagen-Zanker, Overseas Development Institute
There is not much consensus on what the root causes of migration actually are, and little evidence to show that addressing them actually reduces migration.
-
Melanie Morgan, Swansea University; Lella Nouri, Swansea University
The UK lacks a comprehensive system for recording hateful graffiti and imagery, something which researchers argue must change.
|
|
Arts + Culture
|
-
Grant Jarvie, The University of Edinburgh
The Homelessness World Cup is a real tournament that has helped hundreds of people all around the world.
-
Robert Taub, University of Plymouth
With his highly original melodic gift, Gershwin blended jazz and classical elements to create the iconic and enduring Rhapsody in Blue.
-
Naomi Joseph, The Conversation
An album of easter eggs, a film about a woman with worrying dreams, a series about an unknowable man, new Welsh music and the last chance to see a design great.
-
Susan Flavin, Trinity College Dublin; Charlie Taverner, Trinity College Dublin
At Christchurch Cathedral in Dublin masons received up to 15 pints a day as payment.
|
|
Business + Economy
|
-
Renaud Foucart, Lancaster University
The Bank of England and the OBR hold politicians back, but with good reason.
-
Andrew Urquhart, University of Reading
There are reasons to believe that the bitcoin halving could keep the value of the currency high.
|
|
Education
|
-
Sascha Stollhans, University of Leeds
The arrival of international students provides opportunities for intercultural exchange within UK universities.
|
|
Environment
|
-
Emily Barritt, King's College London
Protestors’ actions are intentionally borderline but environmental defenders insist their actions are nothing compared to the risks that political inaction pose. Our expert explains.
|
|
|
|
Science + Technology
|
-
Martin Bauer, Durham University
The US, Europe and China are all planning particle colliders that would study the Higgs boson.
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
