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The Weather Experiment

The meteorological ballooning of the 1860s, from James Glaisher et al, Travels in the Air, 1871

As the writer Peter Moore points out, we’re never far from a weather forecast. It’s become a quotidian component of modern life. But were it not for a host of daring experiments in the 19th century, we might not know that Wednesday is sunny with a chance of t-storms. In a new book, Moore tells the stories of the sailors, artists, astronomers, adventurers, and others who laid the foundations of today’s meteorological sciences. He joins us Thursday to explore the experiments that helped us divine the weather.

Peter Moore is a writer and historian. He is the author of Damn His Blood: Being a True and Detailed History of the Most Barbarous and Inhumane Murder at Oddingley and the Quick and Awful Retribution [Amazon]. He is a visiting lecturer at City University London, where he teaches nonfiction writing. His new book is called The Weather Experiment: The Pioneers Who Sought to See the Future [Amazon|Indiebound].

Doug Fabrizio has been reporting for KUER News since 1987, and became News Director in 1993. In 2001, he became host and executive producer of KUER's RadioWest, a one hour conversation/call-in show on KUER 90.1 in Salt Lake City. He has gained a reputation for his thoughtful style. He has interviewed everyone from Isabel Allende to the Dalai Lama, and from Madeleine Albright to Desmond Tutu. His interview skills landed him a spot as a guest host of the national NPR program, "Talk of the Nation." He has won numerous awards for his reporting and for his work with RadioWest and KUED's Utah NOW from such organizations as the Society of Professional Journalists, the Utah Broadcasters Association, the Public Radio News Directors Association and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.