Podcast · Tech & Science

Atmosphere with Emily Gracey

by Emily Gracey · English · Tech & Science

Meteorologist Emily Gracey sits down each week with leading scientists, researchers, and experts in weather, climate, earth science, and beyond. Every episode goes deeper than the science itself, uncovering the human stories behind the work and making complex ideas feel relevant, relatable, and real

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 43 min
Latest: 13 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

13 Oct 2026 · 26 minNew

Ocean Science Gets an '80s Power Ballad

What happens when an oceanographer uses artificial intelligence to turn a complicated scientific phenomenon into an '80s power ballad? You get soaring vocals, dramatic lyrics, a saxophone solo... and some surprisingly serious science. In this episode of Atmosphere , meteorologist Emily Gracey sits down with Dr. Greg Dusek, a coastal scientist and former NOAA oceanographer, to talk about his AI-generated music video, Kelvin Wave . Created in just half a day, the song tells the story of an ocean phenomenon that plays an important role in El Niño and can have major consequences for coastal…

Play episodeWhatsApp Download

Earlier episodes 18 most recent

6 Oct 2026 · 50 min
AI & Weather: Where Do We Draw the Line?
Artificial intelligence is already changing the way meteorologists forecast and communicate the weather. But how much of the job should we actually hand over? Meteorologist and weather communications coach Tim Heller joins Atmosphere to talk about the AI weather tools he’s building, how meteorologists are using AI to analyze data and create content, and why simply avoiding the technology isn’t the answer. We also get into AI-generated weather graphics and avatars, whether these tools could eventually be used to replace meteorologists, the environmental cost of AI, and what consumers should…
29 Sep 2026 · 43 min
Inside the World of Forensic Meteorology
What happens when weather becomes evidence? Forensic meteorologist Rob Perillo has spent decades reconstructing the atmosphere to help answer that question. Using radar, satellite imagery, weather observations and even a little geometry, he pieces together what happened at a specific place and time—and sometimes takes those findings into a courtroom. In this episode of Atmosphere, Rob shares some of his most fascinating cases, from hurricane-damaged ships and deadly lightning strikes to extreme heat, icy parking lots and investigations where a few degrees or a single weather observation can…
22 Sep 2026 · 41 min
Hip Hop Science: Curiosity, Culture & Creativity
What if science didn't have to feel like science class? Maynard Okereke — better known as Hip Hop Science — has built an audience of more than 100,000 followers by blending science with entertainment, pop culture and curiosity. But before Hip Hop Science, Maynard was a civil engineer who also happened to be a hip-hop artist and performer — two sides of himself he once felt he had to keep separate. Eventually, he stopped trying to fit into one box and built a career that brought them together. In this episode of Atmosphere, Maynard talks with meteorologist Emily Gracey about making the leap…
15 Sep 2026 · 51 min
Climate Change: We Have the Solutions. So What's Stopping Us?
What if the biggest obstacle to tackling climate change isn’t finding the solutions... but actually using them? Dr. Jonathan Foley, climate scientist and Executive Director of Project Drawdown, joins Atmosphere for a candid conversation about where we really stand on climate change, the solutions already within reach, and why he has little patience for the idea that our individual actions don’t matter. We talk about the growing pull of climate doomerism, why Foley believes both despair and blind optimism can get in the way of progress, and what it means to choose action when there’s no…
8 Sep 2026 · 47 min
Where Are All the Hurricanes? A Mid-Season Check-in with Michael Lowry
Halfway through the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, the biggest story may be what hasn’t happened. The Atlantic has been exceptionally quiet — but does that mean we can relax? Hurricane expert Michael Lowry joins Atmosphere to explain what’s behind the unusual season, what he’s watching as we head into the fall, and why the Gulf could still play an important role. Michael also shares the fascinating path that has taken him from the National Hurricane Center and FEMA to The Weather Channel and South Florida television. We talk about how hurricane forecasting and communication have changed,…
1 Sep 2026 · 58 min
Sunsets: The Science Behind the Magic
Why do sunsets move us so much? In this episode of Atmosphere , we're exploring the science, stories and emotions behind one of nature's most beautiful daily spectacles. Cameron Hewitt, director of content at Rick Steves Europe, has traveled the world chasing and photographing sunsets. He'll share what makes a truly spectacular sunset, where he's found the most memorable ones, and why a sunset can mean something completely different depending on where you are — and what is happening in your life. Then certified consulting meteorologist and green flash photographer Jan Null takes us into the…
25 Aug 2026 · 39 min
Flying into Tornadoes with The OTUS Project
The OTUS Project is a family-run team flying custom-built drones directly into tornadoes — including the first-ever drone flight inside a tornado's eye, captured in May 2024. Co-founder Louis Tucker joins us to talk about how he and his brother Nelson build drones tough enough to survive tornado wind speeds, how they forecast and chase storms in real time, and the near-surface wind data they're collecting for organizations like NIST — data that could directly shape future building codes. We also cover the near-misses, including a tornado that crossed their exact location two minutes after…
4 Aug 2026 · 3 min
Science, Stories & Comfort: A Summer Poem
While Emily takes a short break to travel with her family, Atmosphere takes a different form. In this special mini-episode, a rhyming journey through the summer’s biggest weather and natural disaster stories leads us from science, to stories, to comfort, and back again. The poem was written with the help of AI, guided and shaped by Emily. Now is the time to catch up on Atmosphere - new episodes will return later this month!
28 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 1 min
What Scientists Wish They Knew
We like to think of scientists as people who have the answers. But what about the questions they still can’t answer? In this episode of Atmosphere , meteorologist Emily Gracey sits down with marine scientist, author, and science communicator Dr. Ellen Prager to explore some of the biggest mysteries in science and the natural world. What happens beneath a volcano before it erupts? Can we ever truly predict a tsunami, rogue wave, or rapidly intensifying hurricane? What is happening in the deepest parts of the ocean—and why have we explored so little of it? And how quickly will climate change…
21 Jul 2026 · 46 min
Dr. Marshall Shepherd: from Science Fair to Science Leader
Dr. Marshall Shepherd didn't plan to become a meteorologist. A life-threatening honeybee allergy forced him to abandon his childhood dream of becoming an entomologist, leading to a sixth-grade science project that changed the course of his life, and eventually the field of atmospheric science. In this episode of Atmosphere , Emily Gracey sits down with Dr. Marshall Shepherd, former president of the American Meteorological Society, former NASA scientist, associate dean and director of the Atmospheric Sciences Program at the University of Georgia, Forbes contributor, and host of Weather Geeks…
14 Jul 2026 · 45 min
Weather Myths: What's Fact, What's Fiction?
We've all heard them. Rubber tires protect you from lightning. Heat lightning is a different kind of lightning. A hundred-year flood only happens once every hundred years. If the weather changes, a big earthquake must be coming. But how many of these weather myths are actually true? In this episode of Atmosphere , meteorologist Emily Gracey is joined by fellow meteorologist Anthony Yanez for a fun, fast-paced conversation separating weather fact from fiction. Drawing on decades of forecasting, television, school visits, and viewer questions, they unpack the myths they've heard countless…
7 Jul 2026 · 43 min
El Niño, Heat Waves & the Future of Coral Reefs
Coral reefs cover less than 1% of the ocean floor, yet they support a quarter of all marine life on Earth. So what happens when the water around them gets too hot to survive? This year's strong El Niño is pushing already-stressed reefs past their limits. In this episode of Atmosphere , host Emily Gracey sits down with Dr. Tracy Fanara , an environmental engineer and ocean scientist, to break down what's actually happening inside a bleaching coral, why El Niño and climate change are attacking reefs from two directions at once, and a striking theory she's developed linking the 2023 bleaching…
30 Jun 2026 · 44 min
250 Years of America's Climate Record
How different is America's weather today from the world the founding fathers knew 250 years ago? On July 4, 1776, as 56 men gathered to declare independence. That same day, Thomas Jefferson bought a brand-new thermometer, and started taking meticulous notes. Those very readings marked the birth of an American climate record that stretches all the way to the present day. In this episode of Atmosphere , host Emily Gracey sits down with Kaitlyn Trudeau , an applied climate scientist at Climate Central , to unpack two and a half centuries of American weather data. Together, they explore how our…
23 Jun 2026 · 34 min
NSSL: Inside America's Severe Weather Research Lab
What does it actually take to safely chase a tornado, and how does that extreme proximity save lives on the ground? In this episode of Atmosphere , we’re going inside the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) in Norman, Oklahoma - the epicenter of severe weather research. Dr. Pam Heinselman, Deputy Director of Science at NSSL, joins us to break down the cutting-edge tech behind today's storm chasing and why humanizing the forecast is the next frontier in science. In this episode, we discuss: The New Mobile Radar Fleet: The next generation of mobile radars and the surprising places they're…
16 Jun 2026 · 43 min
Earthquakes 101: Faults, Forecasts & The Human Impact
The ground under our feet feels completely solid, but deep beneath the surface, rocks are under constant stress until they hit a breaking point. What actually happens when the earth snaps? In this episode of Atmosphere , meteorologist Emily Gracey steps away from the sky and digs into the subsurface for a masterclass on seismic activity. Joined by geologist and educator Sean Willsey, this comprehensive conversation strips away complex jargon to deliver the ground truth about earthquakes - making it the perfect, accessible listen for professional scientists and curious minds alike. We cover…
9 Jun 2026 · 46 min
The Flaw in the Forecast: Hurricane Communication with Jamie Rhome
Why are we still getting hurricane safety wrong? National Hurricane Center Deputy Director Jamie Rhome joins Atmosphere to expose the hidden communication failures, widespread education gaps, and the lesser-known storm indicators that coastal residents consistently miss until it’s too late. As the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season begins, most headlines focus entirely on the forecast models. But in the second episode of Atmosphere , host Emily Gracey sits down with Rhome to tackle a much bigger problem: why predicting the weather is only half the battle if the public doesn't understand the…
2 Jun 2026 · 43 min
Forecasting D-Day: The Weather Behind PRESSURE
In June 1944, the fate of World War II didn't just rest with a general. It rested with a meteorologist. On the first episode of Atmosphere, meteorologist Emily Gracey digs into the science and human drama behind PRESSURE, the new film about the real weather forecasters who had to find a window for the Allied invasion of Normandy. No satellites. No radar. Everything on the line. Weather historian Sean Potter breaks down what the atmosphere was actually doing that week, the fractured forecasting teams, and why Captain James Stagg's call remains one of the most consequential in the history of…
20 May 2026 · 2 min
Atmosphere with Emily Gracey Trailer
Welcome to Atmosphere with meteorologist Emily Gracey, a podcast where science becomes conversation. Each week, Emily sits down with leading experts in weather, climate, earth science, and beyond to explore not just the science shaping our world, but the human stories behind it.

About Atmosphere with Emily Gracey

Atmosphere with Emily Gracey is a English tech & science podcast from Emily Gracey. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Emily Gracey
Language: English
Category: Tech & Science
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 43 min
Latest episode: 13 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1896816532
Rights: 2026 Emily Gracey

RSS feed Apple Podcasts

More English tech & science

Take it with you

The Melo app keeps playing with the screen off, works in the car and on your watch, wakes you to your station, and browses the whole catalogue offline. Free, no ads, no account.