The Mind of an Autistic Meteorologist
The Empathizing-Systemizing (E-S) Theory and its RelevanceThe E-S theory is a central framework discussed in both sources, hypothesizing that individuals possess varying degrees of "empathizing" and "systemizing" cognitive styles.Systemizing: Defined as "(1) the drive to create and analyze psychological sets of logical rules, or “systems,” related to and constructed around things that occur in the world, and (2) the ability to intuit how systems work in the physical world." (Bolton et al., 2018). It involves identifying "lawful regularities in physical and other systems" and understanding cause-and-effect relationships ("if I do X, A changes to B. If Z occurs, P changes to Q"). There are six main types of systems: abstract, mechanical, natural, collectible, motoric, and social.Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC): Individuals with ASC are hypothesized to be "inherently stronger at “systemizing” than they are empathizing" (Bolton et al., 2018). This manifests as a natural drive to "seek truth—a concept defined here as 'precise, reliable, consistent, or lawful patterns or structure in [some kind of] data' through psychological system-building." (Bolton et al., 2018). The concept of "hyper-systemizing" attempts to explain repetitive behaviors and a disinterest in socializing often observed in ASC, as "the social world, driven by emotions, is far less lawful than domains that include spinning objects or record keeping." (Bolton et al., 2018).II. Psychological Profile of MeteorologistsThe Bolton et al. (2018) study provides the first examination of meteorologists' personality and mental health relative to other physical scientists (engineers and physicists).Empathizing and Systemizing: Meteorologists in the study sample were found to be "higher in empathizing and systemizing" compared to engineers and physicists. While they were "the strongest systemizers" when compared to the combined group, they also showed the "highest group tendency for empathic expression." (Bolton et al., 2018). This suggests a unique "balancing of the E-S cognitive profiles within meteorologists," which is sensible given the profession's "orientation toward public service." (Bolton et al., 2018).Autistic Traits: Engineers and physicists reported "significantly higher autistic trait amounts" than meteorologists. Meteorologists scored comparably on the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) to other STEM groups in previous research, but were lower than the engineers and physicists in this specific sample.III. Weather Salience in Autism Spectrum ConditionsBolton et al. (2020) introduce and explore the concept of "weather salience" in autistic individuals.Definition of Weather Salience: "the degree to which individuals attribute psychological value or importance to the weather and the extent to which they are attuned to their atmospheric environments" (Stewart 2009, quoted in Bolton et al., 2020).Key Findings:Increased Weather Salience in Autism: Initial findings suggest that "enhanced weather salience exists among autistic individuals relative to those without the condition" (Bolton et al., 2020). While statistically non-significant in most studies, autistic participants consistently showed higher weather salience scores.
23 Juni 19min
Evidence Shows Global Warming Signals May Have Been Measured Slightly Earlier than Some Previously Thought
Meteorology Matters discusses a study indicating that human influence on global climate, specifically stratospheric cooling, could have been detected as early as 1885, preceding the widespread use of automobiles. Researchers conducted an experiment using modern climate models and hypothetical 1860 measurement capabilities to identify this early "human fingerprint" on atmospheric temperatures. The study highlights that stratospheric cooling is a strong indicator due to its clear response to CO2 increases and minimal natural variability, making detection easier than with surface temperatures. The authors of the study emphasize the importance of continued observation of the upper atmosphere for monitoring climate change, especially given current budget cuts impacting climate research.
17 Juni 41min
2024 Presidential Election Numbers Not Adding Up as Legal Challenge Proceeds in Court
Meteorology Matters discusses an ongoing lawsuit in Rockland County, New York, challenging the accuracy of the 2024 Presidential and Senate election results, particularly concerning alleged missing votes for Kamala Harris and Diane Sare. The lawsuit, brought by SMART Legislation, seeks a full hand recount due to statistical anomalies and voter affidavits claiming uncounted ballots. A significant point of contention is the "de minimis" software updates to voting machines, which critics argue were untested and lacked transparency. One source further alleges a complex conspiracy involving Eaton, Palantir, and Starlink, claiming these entities manipulated election data remotely and erased digital footprints, suggesting a "vote-flipping algorithm" was in play that resulted in statistically improbable outcomes favoring Donald Trump. While the lawsuit will not overturn the national results, it aims to expose systemic flaws and influence future election integrity policies.
17 Juni 46min
Waste from Miami Nuclear Power Plant Still Leaking into Drinking Water Supply
Environmental and safety concerns surrounding the Turkey Point nuclear power plant in Miami-Dade County, Florida, particularly its aging infrastructure and cooling canal system. A central issue highlighted is the hypersaline plume originating from the plant's cooling canals, which is threatening Miami's primary drinking water aquifer and the surrounding ecosystem. Environmental groups, such as Miami Waterkeeper, express alarm over the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's decision to extend the plant's operating license given its age and vulnerability to climate change impacts like hurricanes, sea-level rise, and extreme heat. While Florida Power & Light (FPL), the plant's owner, asserts the facility's safety and efforts to mitigate the plume, experts and activists suggest alternative cooling methods, like cooling towers, as more effective solutions to prevent further contamination and environmental damage.
15 Juni 44min
Google DeepMind AI Hurricane Forecast Model Could be a Good Thing… If it Works in Realtime
Google DeepMind and Google Research's new initiative, Weather Lab, which aims to improve tropical cyclone prediction using artificial intelligence (AI). This platform features an experimental AI model that predicts various aspects of cyclones, including formation, track, intensity, size, and shape, up to 15 days in advance, with 50 possible scenarios. The article highlights the model's superior accuracy compared to traditional physics-based methods for both track and intensity predictions. Furthermore, it explains the collaborative efforts with organizations like the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) to validate and integrate these AI-powered forecasts into official warnings and disaster preparedness. The text also emphasizes that Weather Lab is a research tool, and its predictions are experimental, advising users to refer to official meteorological agencies for critical information.
14 Juni 37min
Another American Weather Website Being Shut Down
Effective Shutdown of Climate.gov: The website is likely to cease publishing new content imminently. The "entire content production staff at climate.gov (including me) were let go from our government contract on 31 May," stated an anonymous former contractor. This signifies a de facto shutdown of new information dissemination.Targeted Elimination of Staff: The dismissals were highly specific, with former program manager Rebecca Lindsey describing a situation where a demand came "from above" to "rewrite parts of the contract to remove the team’s funding." Tom Di Liberto, a former NOAA spokesperson, noted, "They only fired a handful of people, and it just so happened to be the entire content team for climate.gov. I mean, that’s a clear signal."Political Motivation and Suppression of Science: The consensus among former staff is that the actions were politically motivated and aimed at restricting public access to climate information. Lindsey believed it was a "very deliberate, targeted attack," and stated that the administration is engaging in a "slow and quiet way of trying to keep science agencies from providing information to the American public about climate." Di Liberto explicitly states, "It’s clear that the administration does not accept climate science, so it’s certainly concerning."Loss of a Trusted, Non-Partisan Source: Climate.gov was recognized as an "extremely well-trusted source for climate information." Lindsey emphasized that the content was "specifically designed to be politically neutral, and faithful to the current state of the sciences," and that they "operated exactly how you would want an independent, non-partisan communications group to operate."Vulnerability to Misinformation and Propaganda: A significant concern among the fired staff is the potential for the administration to "co-opt climate.gov to publish its own anti-science content." Lindsey feared a "sinister possibility" of the administration providing "a content team from the Heartland Institute, leveraging our audience, our brand, our millions of people that we reach on social media every month. That’s the worst-case scenario." The contractor also worried about the site turning into "a propaganda website for this administration." The absence of staff to "pushback on misinformation" on social media accounts further compounds this risk.
12 Juni 35min
Florida Waters Reach 98°, Dangerous Hurricane Fuel
Timeline of Main Events1950-2016: Florida experiences an increase of approximately 25 extreme rain events annually.1970-2020: Tide gauge observations are recorded to estimate sea-level rise rates for the eastern Gulf Coast.1982-Present (implied up to Nov 2024): Storm tracks in the Atlantic basin are recorded in the International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship database.1985-Present (implied up to Nov 2024): Marine heat wave data becomes available and is recorded.1990s: Widespread marine heat waves spanning hundreds of miles begin to be recorded.2006-2015: Florida experiences a decade without a single hurricane strike.2017: Hurricane Harvey strengthens from a tropical depression into a Category 4 hurricane in two days before striking the Texas coast. This year also marks the beginning of an eight-year streak of major Gulf landfalls.2017: Hurricane Irma hits the Gulf Coast with ferocious intensity.2022: Hurricane Ian's wind speeds nearly double in roughly 22 hours before the storm makes landfall in Southwest Florida as a Category 4 hurricane, becoming the costliest hurricane in state history.2023: Hurricane Idalia ravages the Big Bend area of Florida with a 10-foot storm surge.2023: A severe coral bleaching event occurs in Florida, leading to significant coral mortality and prompting NOAA to extend their severity scale.2023: Daily average sea temperatures at Buoy Key, Florida, reach their highest May levels in documented history.2024: Atypical heat continues in the Caribbean throughout the year.October 2024: Hurricane Milton strengthens from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in 24 hours as it crosses the Gulf of Mexico northwest of the Yucatan Peninsula.October 2024: Hurricane Milton's historic rain floods inland neighborhoods in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, including Clearwater and parts of North Tampa, with up to 17 inches of rain in five hours. Stormwater pumps fail in some areas.May 2025: More than 4,000 daily record high temperature reports occur across the United States, more than double the number of record lows.Early May 2025: A deadly Mid-Atlantic atmospheric river occurs, fueled by increased moisture from the marine heat wave.May 24, 2025: Sea temperatures near Buoy Key, Florida, reach 98 degrees Fahrenheit.May 25, 2025 (last weekend before May 29): Ocean temperatures near 98 degrees are recorded by a buoy in Everglades National Park.May 26, 2025 (last Sunday before May 29): Houston sets a new overall monthly record low overnight temperature of 82 degrees.May 27, 2025 (last Monday before May 29): Fort Lauderdale, Florida, records a low of 82 degrees, a record for May.May 29, 2025: Golf ball-size hail pummel Austin, Texas.May 30, 2025 (Last Thursday before May 31): Tampa experiences an 80-degree low temperature, its hottest May morning on record (since 1890). Downpours are expected from Louisiana to Georgia.
1 Juni 18min
Scientists Trying to Save America’s Weather Forecasts with 100 Hour Live Stream Event
CHECK IT OUT HERE…https://youtube.com/@wclivestreamResponse to Funding Cuts and Policy Changes: The primary driver for the scientists' actions is the substantial cuts to federal agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NASA, and the Department of Energy, as well as the withholding of research funding to academia by the Trump administration. The CNN article explicitly states this effort is a "response to policy moves" and seen as a form of "resistance to the administration’s changes." The livestream website highlights that the community has been "thwarted in our mission of serving the public due to substantial cuts and firings.""The Scientist-iest" Resistance: Rather than traditional forms of protest, scientists are engaging the public through a multi-day livestream of presentations about their work. Climate scientist Kate Marvel describes this approach as potentially "The scientist-iest thing we could do," emphasizing that it makes sense given their expertise. The goal is to demonstrate the value and impact of their research on the American public.The Weather & Climate Livestream: This is the central initiative discussed in both sources. It is a 100-hour continuous livestream featuring climate and weather specialists giving 15-minute talks about their work.Timing: It runs from Wednesday, May 28th at 1 p.m. ET to Sunday, June 1st at 5:30 p.m. ET.Goal: To call attention to the impacts of the cuts and demonstrate how their science benefits the public. Marc Alessi of the Union of Concerned Scientists states, "If the American public tunes in, they watch our science talks, they will see how our science benefits the public."Format: Includes individual talks, panel discussions (including terminated NOAA employees and former National Weather Service directors), and AMAs (Ask Me Anything) with scientists. Notable participants mentioned include Kate Marvel, Paul Markowski, Ben Santer, Kerry Emanuel, and others.Content: The livestream will cover a wide range of topics, including agriculture and climate, hurricanes, ocean heat, the water cycle, air quality, drought, floods, measuring CO2, sea level rise, tornadoes, and more, linking them to federal agencies responsible for these areas (EPA, NOAA, NASA, USDA, UCAR SciEd, USGS).
28 Maj 8min
