A podcast about climate science and the world around us
The headlines move quickly. The science underneath them does not. The Climate Translation explains what researchers know, what they are still working to understand, and why it matters, all without losing the science in the process.
What happens when a wave you can barely see travels thousands of miles across the Pacific and quietly raises sea levels along the coast?
Dr. Mac explains Kelvin waves: what they are, how they form, and why they are closely connected to the powerful El Niño developing across the Pacific.
Explore episodeFrom the archive
Episode 38
Extreme summer heat and drought warm and deplete river water, forcing thermal power plants to curb electricity generation just as demand peaks. Adapting the grid requires alternative cooling methods, recycled wastewater, and water-independent renewables.
Explore episodeEpisode 37
The Gulf of Mexico is warming rapidly, storing deep heat via the Loop Current and warm-core eddies. This energy fuels hurricanes, amplifies inland severe weather, accelerates coastal sea-level rise, and feeds the Atlantic’s ocean circulation.
Explore episodeEpisode 36
Thunderstorm downbursts generate destructive straight-line winds and regional derechos through heavy precipitation and evaporative cooling. As the climate warms, rising temperatures and increasing DCAPE make environments significantly more favorable for these severe downdrafts.
Explore episodeWhat is The Climate Translation?
Climate conversations often jump from data to politics before anyone has explained the mechanism in between. This podcast starts with the science: the physics, chemistry, biology, evidence, uncertainty, and real-world observations that help us understand how Earth's systems are changing.
The goal is not to shout across the gap between experts and everyone else. It is to build a bridge.
Learn about the story behind the podcastYour host
Dr. Mac is a meteorologist, educator, and science communicator who has spent decades teaching atmospheric and Earth science and translating complex scientific ideas for students and the public.
On The Climate Translation, he brings the classroom into the podcast studio: using analogies, real-world examples, current research, and the questions people actually ask to make climate science easier to understand.
