Weather control has been something humans have desired for as long as they have suffered from unpredictable and destructive weather. Even in our scientific times its effectiveness is in many cases largely dependent on gullibility.

History of weather control

If we dispense with legends, at least Native American Indians had methods which they believed to induce rain. The Finnish people, on the other hand, were believed by others to be able to control all weather. Thus Vikings refused to take Finns on their raids by sea. Remnants of this belief lasted well into the modern age, with many ship crews being reluctant to accept Finnish sailors.

The early modern era saw people observe that during battles the firing of cannons and other firearms often precipitated precipitation. The first example of weather control which is still considered workable is probably the lightning conductor.

Various weather control techniques (e.g. cloud seeding) are still being used in today's Russia, especially during preparations for significant anniversaries.

Modern aspirations

There are two factors which make weather control extremely difficult if not fundamentally intractable. The first one is the immense quantity of energy contained in the atmosphere. The second is its turbulence.

Effective cloud seeding to produce rain has always been some 50 years away. People do utilize even the most expensive and experimental types of it, but more in hope than confidence.

Conspiracy theorists have suggested that government projects the weather and that weather control is used as a weapon, though this has not been proven.

See also: global warming, weather forecasting