World Premiere: The Nature of Things with David Suzuki, 14 January 2016 at 8:00pm on CBC TV. http://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/episodes/myth-or-science-4-in-the-eye-of-the-storm. Dr. Jennifer Gardy is back. The intrepid scientist who put her body on the line in Myth or Science 1, 2 and 3 returns to continue her mission to put science claims to the test and discover – once and for all -- whether they’re myth or science. This time Dr. Gardy’s journey will take her inside one of mankind’s greatest obsessions – the weather. From tornadoes to hurricanes, from lightning storms to torrential rain, weather is a topic no one can resist or avoid. And like any obsession tackled by Dr. Gardy -- from dieting to beauty -- weather spawns an extraordinary number of claims: ➢ Highway overpasses are safe shelters against a tornado. ➢ Rain is shaped like teardrops. ➢ A cricket's chirp can reveal the temperature. ➢ Planes can survive a direct hit from a lightning strike. ➢ Snow is not really white. But are any of these true or just myths we’ve picked up at the water cooler? Once again, Dr. Gardy will go on a quest to find out. But Dr. Gardy, a microbiologist at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control in Canada, will do more than that. In her search for answers she’ll uncover the fascinating science behind our weather, explain how weather dictates the behaviour of both animals and humans, and give us practical information that will help us deal with a phenomenon that impacts every day of our lives.
 
 

Home > Our Work > Myth or Science: In the Eye of the Storm

MYTH OR SCIENCE

IN THE EYE OF THE STORM

CBC TELEVISION, THE NATURE OF THINGS

2016 | 44 mins

View on YouTube

Myth buster for science, Dr. Jennifer Gardy, continues her mission to separate science fiction from science fact. Once again, she uses her own body, and unorthodox tests, to put extreme weather claims under the microscope and discover if they’re myth or science.

Weather is one of our greatest obsessions and, with climate change, a critical element in our everyday lives.  But like any obsession, it spawns an extraordinary number of claims.  In Myth or Science: In The Eye of the Storm, Gardy puts these claims to the test.

  • She goes to the world famous WINDEEE Lab in London, Canada to stand in a human-made vortex to discover if an underpass is a safe place to hide when a tornado strikes.

  • She goes to an indoor skydiving wind tunnel with a super-fast camera to stop a raindrop and find out if its shaped like a tear.

  • She travels to a lab in Cardiff, Wales to zap the wing of a plane with 60,000 volts to see if an aircraft can survive a direct hit from a lightning strike.

  • And she heads for Canada’s Rocky Mountains to find out if snow is really white.

In the process Gardy explains how weather dictates the behaviour of both animals and humans and gives us practical information on how to deal with this force of nature.  Using the latest tech, unexpected experiments and traditional scientific investigation, sheprovides a humorous and unique take on the pop-science questions that affect our everyday lives and health.

View Credits

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Director
Jeff Semple

Host & Narrator
Dr. Jennifer Gardy

Executive Producer
Dugald Maudsley

Writer
Scott Harper

Editor
David Murray

Composer
Alex Khaskin

Director of Photography
Jerry Vienneau

Sound Recordist
Michael Kennedy

Executive Story Consultant
Dugald Maudsley

Researcher
Monika Delmos

Production Manager
Diane Marcotte

Production Coordinator
Gillian Main

Visual Effects Designer
Mark Alberts

Post Production Supervisor/Online Editor
Eric Wiegand

Visual Researcher
Elspeth Domville

Additional Camera
Terry Zazulak

Additional Sound
Richard Nault

Re-recording Mixer
Grant Edmonds

Assistant Audio Editor
Cait Macintosh

SFX Editor
Andy Frech

Colour Correction
Colin Moore

Publicist
David Mccaughna

Archival Material Courtesy Of
Rutger Boonstra
Christopher Emersic
Cardiff University, Morgan-botti Lightning Laboratory
Maryam Refan
Focus Video Productions Inc.
The National Film Board of Canada
Pete Mcleod Aerosports Inc.
Pond5
Shutterstock

Special Thanks
Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of Manchester
National Ice Core Laboratory
Jazz Aviation
London International Airport
Kelly Peckham
University of Western Ontario
University of Colorado Boulder

For Infield Fly Productions
Producer
Dugald Maudsley

Business Affairs
Gillian Main

Production Accountant
Rebecca Humble Mcculloch

Legal Counsel
David Steinberg

For the CBC
Director of Production
Alexandra Lane

Director of Finance
Julie Lawlor

Executive in Charge of Production
Sue Dando

Executive Director Unscripted Content
Jennifer Dettman

With the Participation Of
Rogers Documentary Fund
Rogers Telefund
Canada Media Fund
Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit
Ontario Media Development Corporation

Produced in Association With
The Nature of Things with David Suzuki

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
cbc.ca/natureofthings
Copyright 2016
@ 2016 IF: Myth 4 Productions Inc.

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