Have you ever wondered what a cloud tastes like? Or puzzled over what a raindrop looks like as it makes its way earthward? The answers will be found at an exhibition set to open at the Science Gallery at Trinity College Dublin.
"Strange Weather: Forecasts from the future" takes an innovative look at our love-hate relationship with the weather and also with climate change.
The free exhibition definitely takes a fresh look. You can place a bet to see who can provide a better weather forecast eight days hence - the public or the forecasters at Met Éireann. Or look at some of the mad ideas being pursued by scientists to control the weather.
“We wanted to give people a new outlook that has not been seen before,” said Zack Denfeld, who co-curated the exhibition with Cat Kramer and Met Éireann’s Gerald Fleming.
The exhibition “turns weather on its head to get past climate change and see what opportunities and changes will come”, said Gallery director Lynn Scarff.
It definitely draws the public into the show. You can play the television weatherman, recording a forecast in front of green screen technology that immediately afterwards will be uploaded to YouTube for all your friends to see. (youtube.com/strangeweatherdublin)
Artist Karolina Sobecka took her cloud harvesting gear out to the Sally Gap in the Dublin Mountains and brought back some to share with visitors. And you can join the "climate council" and give your views on how to deal with all the changes our weather will see.
Alistair McClymont’s trapped raindrop is certainly arresting as it floats before your eyes, finely balanced on a tiny jet of air. More water can be added when it shrinks from evaporation or to see what happens when the drop gets too large.
The Weather War exhibit by Bigert and Bergström shows some of the strange ideas that scientists have suggested to fight back if the weather delivers something nasty. Take for example the “Tornado Diverter”, an electro-magnetic device meant to steer away threatening tornadoes, presumably to hit your near neighbour’s house rather than your own.
Or consider Patrick Stevenson-Keating’s idea to quite literally become part of the weather by having your postumous ashes used to “seed” clouds as a way to produce rain.
There are 26 exhibits to visit when Strange Weather opens to the public tomorrow (fri) at noon. See the Gallery’s website sciencegallery.com
