Architecting the sky

By Luiza Crosman & Eduardo Castillo-Vinuesa

REX DEUS MAX

Skynomics is a research initiative exploring the promises and pitfalls of the commodification of the Earth's atmosphere.

Through several interconnected research strands, it critically analyzes the technologies and market forces shaping our atmospheric future.

How to seed a cloud

On weather modification

Weather modification, particularly cloud seeding, represents a significant scientific endeavor to control and influence weather patterns. The concept of altering weather has fascinated scientists and policymakers alike, offering potential solutions to droughts, agricultural challenges, and even climate change mitigation. Since its inception in the mid-20th century, cloud seeding technology has evolved significantly. Despite its potential, it remains a topic of debate and skepticism due to its uncertain effectiveness and ethical implications. This R.Strand explores the invention and evolution of cloud seeding technologies from their inception to the present day, examining the advancements, applications, and controversies that have shaped this field while maintaining a critical and analytical perspective.
The origins of weather modification can be traced back to the 1940s when researchers began exploring ways to influence precipitation. Vincent J. Schaefer and Irving Langmuir, working at the General Electric Research Laboratory, are often credited with the first successful cloud seeding experiment in 1946. They used dry ice to induce snowfall, marking a pivotal moment in the field. This breakthrough led to further experiments and the development of silver iodide as a more effective seeding agent.
Schaefer's experiment involved dropping six pounds of dry ice into a cloud from an aircraft, resulting in a visible snowfall below the cloud. This experiment demonstrated the potential of artificially inducing precipitation and laid the groundwork for further research in weather modification. Langmuir's involvement brought a more theoretical approach, as he developed the theories and models that explained the nucleation process of cloud seeding.
Weather modification, particularly cloud seeding, represents a significant scientific endeavor to control and influence weather patterns. The concept of altering weather has fascinated scientists and policymakers alike, offering potential solutions to droughts, agricultural challenges, and even climate change mitigation. Since its inception in the mid-20th century, cloud seeding technology has evolved significantly. Despite its potential, it remains a topic of debate and skepticism due to its uncertain effectiveness and ethical implications. This R.Strand explores the invention and evolution of cloud seeding technologies from their inception to the present day, examining the advancements, applications, and controversies that have shaped this field while maintaining a critical and analytical perspective.

Spectral Futures

On atmospheric replicas and forecasting

Weather modification, particularly cloud seeding, represents a significant scientific endeavor to control and influence weather patterns. The concept of altering weather has fascinated scientists and policymakers alike, offering potential solutions to droughts, agricultural challenges, and even climate change mitigation. Since its inception in the mid-20th century, cloud seeding technology has evolved significantly. Despite its potential, it remains a topic of debate and skepticism due to its uncertain effectiveness and ethical implications. This R.Strand explores the invention and evolution of cloud seeding technologies from their inception to the present day, examining the advancements, applications, and controversies that have shaped this field while maintaining a critical and analytical perspective.
The origins of weather modification can be traced back to the 1940s when researchers began exploring ways to influence precipitation. Vincent J. Schaefer and Irving Langmuir, working at the General Electric Research Laboratory, are often credited with the first successful cloud seeding experiment in 1946. They used dry ice to induce snowfall, marking a pivotal moment in the field. This breakthrough led to further experiments and the development of silver iodide as a more effective seeding agent.
Schaefer's experiment involved dropping six pounds of dry ice into a cloud from an aircraft, resulting in a visible snowfall below the cloud. This experiment demonstrated the potential of artificially inducing precipitation and laid the groundwork for further research in weather modification. Langmuir's involvement brought a more theoretical approach, as he developed the theories and models that explained the nucleation process of cloud seeding.
Weather modification, particularly cloud seeding, represents a significant scientific endeavor to control and influence weather patterns. The concept of altering weather has fascinated scientists and policymakers alike, offering potential solutions to droughts, agricultural challenges, and even climate change mitigation. Since its inception in the mid-20th century, cloud seeding technology has evolved significantly. Despite its potential, it remains a topic of debate and skepticism due to its uncertain effectiveness and ethical implications. This R.Strand explores the invention and evolution of cloud seeding technologies from their inception to the present day, examining the advancements, applications, and controversies that have shaped this field while maintaining a critical and analytical perspective.

Commodified Sky

On pricing weather and derivatives

Weather modification, particularly cloud seeding, represents a significant scientific endeavor to control and influence weather patterns. The concept of altering weather has fascinated scientists and policymakers alike, offering potential solutions to droughts, agricultural challenges, and even climate change mitigation. Since its inception in the mid-20th century, cloud seeding technology has evolved significantly. Despite its potential, it remains a topic of debate and skepticism due to its uncertain effectiveness and ethical implications. This R.Strand explores the invention and evolution of cloud seeding technologies from their inception to the present day, examining the advancements, applications, and controversies that have shaped this field while maintaining a critical and analytical perspective.
The origins of weather modification can be traced back to the 1940s when researchers began exploring ways to influence precipitation. Vincent J. Schaefer and Irving Langmuir, working at the General Electric Research Laboratory, are often credited with the first successful cloud seeding experiment in 1946. They used dry ice to induce snowfall, marking a pivotal moment in the field. This breakthrough led to further experiments and the development of silver iodide as a more effective seeding agent.
Schaefer's experiment involved dropping six pounds of dry ice into a cloud from an aircraft, resulting in a visible snowfall below the cloud. This experiment demonstrated the potential of artificially inducing precipitation and laid the groundwork for further research in weather modification. Langmuir's involvement brought a more theoretical approach, as he developed the theories and models that explained the nucleation process of cloud seeding.
Weather modification, particularly cloud seeding, represents a significant scientific endeavor to control and influence weather patterns. The concept of altering weather has fascinated scientists and policymakers alike, offering potential solutions to droughts, agricultural challenges, and even climate change mitigation. Since its inception in the mid-20th century, cloud seeding technology has evolved significantly. Despite its potential, it remains a topic of debate and skepticism due to its uncertain effectiveness and ethical implications. This R.Strand explores the invention and evolution of cloud seeding technologies from their inception to the present day, examining the advancements, applications, and controversies that have shaped this field while maintaining a critical and analytical perspective.

Atmospheric Chronoengineering

On recursive simulations

Weather modification, particularly cloud seeding, represents a significant scientific endeavor to control and influence weather patterns. The concept of altering weather has fascinated scientists and policymakers alike, offering potential solutions to droughts, agricultural challenges, and even climate change mitigation. Since its inception in the mid-20th century, cloud seeding technology has evolved significantly. Despite its potential, it remains a topic of debate and skepticism due to its uncertain effectiveness and ethical implications. This R.Strand explores the invention and evolution of cloud seeding technologies from their inception to the present day, examining the advancements, applications, and controversies that have shaped this field while maintaining a critical and analytical perspective.
The origins of weather modification can be traced back to the 1940s when researchers began exploring ways to influence precipitation. Vincent J. Schaefer and Irving Langmuir, working at the General Electric Research Laboratory, are often credited with the first successful cloud seeding experiment in 1946. They used dry ice to induce snowfall, marking a pivotal moment in the field. This breakthrough led to further experiments and the development of silver iodide as a more effective seeding agent.
Schaefer's experiment involved dropping six pounds of dry ice into a cloud from an aircraft, resulting in a visible snowfall below the cloud. This experiment demonstrated the potential of artificially inducing precipitation and laid the groundwork for further research in weather modification. Langmuir's involvement brought a more theoretical approach, as he developed the theories and models that explained the nucleation process of cloud seeding.
Weather modification, particularly cloud seeding, represents a significant scientific endeavor to control and influence weather patterns. The concept of altering weather has fascinated scientists and policymakers alike, offering potential solutions to droughts, agricultural challenges, and even climate change mitigation. Since its inception in the mid-20th century, cloud seeding technology has evolved significantly. Despite its potential, it remains a topic of debate and skepticism due to its uncertain effectiveness and ethical implications. This R.Strand explores the invention and evolution of cloud seeding technologies from their inception to the present day, examining the advancements, applications, and controversies that have shaped this field while maintaining a critical and analytical perspective.

Vincent J. Schaefer, "The First Cloud Seeding Experiment," Journal of Applied Meteorology 5, no. 1 (1946): 121-123.
Irving Langmuir, "Theoretical Considerations on the Nucleation Process," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 42, no. 1 (1947): 60-62.
Wyoming Water Development Office, Wyoming Weather Modification Pilot Program: Final Report (Cheyenne: Wyoming Water Development Office, 2014).
United Arab Emirates National Center of Meteorology and Seismology, Annual Report (Abu Dhabi: NCMS, 2020).
China Meteorological Administration, "Weather Modification Programs and Results," Beijing, 2018.
Israeli Meteorological Service, "Cloud Seeding in Israel: History and Results," Journal of Hydrology 35, no. 2 (2015): 200-210.
National Research Council, Critical Issues in Weather Modification Research (Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2003).
Department of Defense, "Operation Popeye," Report, 1974.
United Nations, Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques (ENMOD), 1976.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), "Weather Modification Permits and Regulations," 2019.
"Environmental Impacts of Silver Iodide," Environmental Science & Technology 44, no. 13 (2010): 4959-4963.
"Ethical Implications of Weather Modification," Journal of Environmental Ethics 29, no. 4 (2017): 356-373.
"Nanotechnology in Cloud Seeding," Advances in Atmospheric Sciences 34, no. 6 (2021): 678-690.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Special Report on Climate Change and Weather Modification, 2018.

LEX VITAE

Skynomics is a research initiative exploring the promises and pitfalls of the commodification of the Earth's atmosphere.

Through several interconnected research strands, it critically analyzes the technologies and market forces shaping our atmospheric future.

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Originally publish on e-flux

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