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Has this ever been proven to actually work?

by paxys 1y ago

UebVar 1y ago
No, and explanations on how it could work are implausible.
- thepratt 1y ago
  Dubai has an entire active operation. It looks like it does work, but how well is debated. Seems to have enough of an impact (correlation or causation) that they haven't shut it down yet.
  - malfist 1y ago
    Governments spending money on something doesn't mean it works. Bridges to nowhere are totally a thing
    - magicalhippo 1y ago
      > Bridges to nowhere are totally a thing Come on now. It's not nowhere, there's 24 people living on that island, of course that's worth building a $45 million bridge for them[1]. (just the latest silly bridge project here in Norway) [1]: https://www.nrk.no/nordland/nordland-fylkesrad-vil-bygge-bro-mellom-forvik-og-hamnoya-i-vevelstad-1.17647860 https://www.nrk.no/nordland/nordland-fylkesrad-vil-bygge-bro...
      - gus_massa 1y ago
        Autotranslaton: > However, there are only 24 permanent residents and five active farms on Hamnøya. Therefore, there is regular transport of tankers, concentrate feed and livestock trucks. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamn%C3%B8ya,_Vevelstad https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamn%C3%B8ya,_Vevelstad > Hamnøya is an island in Vevelstad Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The 16.6-square-kilometre (6.4 sq mi) island lies about 500 to 700 metres (0.3 to 0.4 mi) off shore from the mainland of the municipality, separated by the Vevelstadsundet strait. The island is only accessible by boat and in 2021 it had 35 permanent residents living on the island. I'm not sure if it's cheaper to upgrade both posts, but a bridge doesn't look so silly.
      - Polizeiposaune 1y ago
        It's at least better value than the once-proposed ~$400 million Gravina Island bridge in Alaska -- to serve 50 residents and an airport
  - meindnoch 1y ago
    Yeah, because Dubai is known for their prudent financials. Lol.
Marsymars 1y ago
It works to e.g. prompt hail to fall outside of cities rather than directly onto cities.
- gus_massa 1y ago
  I think it's used in Mendoza (Argentina). They have very clean air, and sometimes they get big hailstorm the size of a gold ball. With the seeds, they get instead a lot of small ice crystals that (mostly?) melt while falling and are not harmful for people or farms. IIUC it's the same amount of water in the same place, but in a friendlier formfactor.
adgjlsfhk1 1y ago
the U.S did experiments in Vietnam that were fairly promising back in the 70s
- CapitalistCartr 1y ago
  Operation Popeye https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Popeye https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Popeye
testing22321 1y ago
Sure. Ski resorts in Utah do it all the time to make it snow.
drewmate 1y ago
Apparently there are companies trying similar things in the US - https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2025/11/13/cloud-seeding-utah-republians/ https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2025/11/13/cloud-seedin... First I'd heard of it... though Salt Lake City did just have its rainiest October on record.
WhereIsTheTruth 1y ago
The UAE has partnered with the US and NASA on cloud seeding research, and the US has been doing it for decades https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/18/united-arab-emirates-is-using-cloud-seeding-tech-to-make-it-rain.html https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/18/united-arab-emirates-is-usin...
BurningFrog 1y ago
It can make existing moisture in the air fall as rain where you want it to. Like over a water reservoir. But it obviously can't create more moisture than already is in the air.
DANmode 1y ago
The Chinese pretty blatantly used it to tailor things for their Olympics. I’m a little surprised how this has gone under the radar, considering the black box “effing with the weather cycles” truly is.
- blackoil 1y ago
  Considering it is done for many years all over the world no reason that particular should be on anyone's radar.
  - DANmode 1y ago
    No, the concept - not the “China” detail. It’s being discussed here (and elsewhere) like the US company talking about it is broaching a new concept.
- testing22321 1y ago
  Ski resorts in the US have been doing it for a long time. No need to point the finger at the nasty Chinese.
  - DANmode 1y ago
    See other comment.
Aurornis 1y ago
It has some effect, but it’s not an easy solution. It’s more of a modulator on top of weather, not a switch you can flip to induce as much rain as you want on demand.

Has this ever been proven to actually work?

by paxys 1y ago

Has this ever been proven to actually work?

UebVar 1y ago

No, and explanations on how it could work are implausible.

thepratt 1y ago
Dubai has an entire active operation. It looks like it does work, but how well is debated. Seems to have enough of an impact (correlation or causation) that they haven't shut it down yet.
- malfist 1y ago
  Governments spending money on something doesn't mean it works. Bridges to nowhere are totally a thing
  - magicalhippo 1y ago
    > Bridges to nowhere are totally a thing Come on now. It's not nowhere, there's 24 people living on that island, of course that's worth building a $45 million bridge for them[1]. (just the latest silly bridge project here in Norway) [1]: https://www.nrk.no/nordland/nordland-fylkesrad-vil-bygge-bro-mellom-forvik-og-hamnoya-i-vevelstad-1.17647860 https://www.nrk.no/nordland/nordland-fylkesrad-vil-bygge-bro...
    - gus_massa 1y ago
      Autotranslaton: > However, there are only 24 permanent residents and five active farms on Hamnøya. Therefore, there is regular transport of tankers, concentrate feed and livestock trucks. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamn%C3%B8ya,_Vevelstad https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamn%C3%B8ya,_Vevelstad > Hamnøya is an island in Vevelstad Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The 16.6-square-kilometre (6.4 sq mi) island lies about 500 to 700 metres (0.3 to 0.4 mi) off shore from the mainland of the municipality, separated by the Vevelstadsundet strait. The island is only accessible by boat and in 2021 it had 35 permanent residents living on the island. I'm not sure if it's cheaper to upgrade both posts, but a bridge doesn't look so silly.
    - Polizeiposaune 1y ago
      It's at least better value than the once-proposed ~$400 million Gravina Island bridge in Alaska -- to serve 50 residents and an airport
- meindnoch 1y ago
  Yeah, because Dubai is known for their prudent financials. Lol.

Marsymars 1y ago

It works to e.g. prompt hail to fall outside of cities rather than directly onto cities.

gus_massa 1y ago
I think it's used in Mendoza (Argentina). They have very clean air, and sometimes they get big hailstorm the size of a gold ball. With the seeds, they get instead a lot of small ice crystals that (mostly?) melt while falling and are not harmful for people or farms. IIUC it's the same amount of water in the same place, but in a friendlier formfactor.

adgjlsfhk1 1y ago

the U.S did experiments in Vietnam that were fairly promising back in the 70s

CapitalistCartr 1y ago
Operation Popeye https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Popeye https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Popeye

testing22321 1y ago

Sure. Ski resorts in Utah do it all the time to make it snow.

drewmate 1y ago

Apparently there are companies trying similar things in the US - https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2025/11/13/cloud-seeding-utah-republians/ https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2025/11/13/cloud-seedin... First I'd heard of it... though Salt Lake City did just have its rainiest October on record.

WhereIsTheTruth 1y ago

The UAE has partnered with the US and NASA on cloud seeding research, and the US has been doing it for decades https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/18/united-arab-emirates-is-using-cloud-seeding-tech-to-make-it-rain.html https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/18/united-arab-emirates-is-usin...

BurningFrog 1y ago

It can make existing moisture in the air fall as rain where you want it to. Like over a water reservoir. But it obviously can't create more moisture than already is in the air.

DANmode 1y ago

The Chinese pretty blatantly used it to tailor things for their Olympics. I’m a little surprised how this has gone under the radar, considering the black box “effing with the weather cycles” truly is.

blackoil 1y ago
Considering it is done for many years all over the world no reason that particular should be on anyone's radar.
- DANmode 1y ago
  No, the concept - not the “China” detail. It’s being discussed here (and elsewhere) like the US company talking about it is broaching a new concept.
testing22321 1y ago
Ski resorts in the US have been doing it for a long time. No need to point the finger at the nasty Chinese.
- DANmode 1y ago
  See other comment.

Aurornis 1y ago

It has some effect, but it’s not an easy solution. It’s more of a modulator on top of weather, not a switch you can flip to induce as much rain as you want on demand.