Why Meteorology Used To Be Considered Witchcraft

Meteorology is something we take for granted these days.

Whether it’s storm chasing snow forecasts, planning outdoor gatherings around rain storms, or even tracking disastrous hurricanes, our weather men and women are a vital part to modern society.

As it turns out, that wasn’t always the case. Predicting the weather was considered to be witchcraft as recently as 200 years ago!

YouTube channel Simon Clark does an excellent job explaining the history of how weather prediction evolved from an illegal dark art to commonplace in our society. Check it out below:

Simon Clark: “As it turns out, technology is magic! In the eyes of the law, sometimes very literally. Become a witch yourself with the courses on Brilliant: https://www.brilliant.org/simonclark

Pre-order my book, Firmament, here! https://geni.us/firmament

The text of the 1735 Witchcraft Act: https://statutes.org.uk/site/the-stat…

Side note: Helen Duncan, the last woman to be imprisoned under the witchcraft act, was put in prison because authorities were worried she’s spill the beans on the top-secret D-day landings! Which apparently she would know about because of her witchy powers. So much as parliament allegedly didn’t believe in the powers of witches in 1735, there were clearly some people in 1944 who still did! You can support the channel by donating at http://www.patreon.com/simonoxfphys

Check out my website! https://www.simonoxfphys.com/

Title: Why weathermen were illegal wizards for 97 years In this video I talk about why meteorologists at the UK met office were legally wizards for nearly a century, breaking a two hundred year-old witchcraft law. Along the way we learn about how weathermen may as well be doing magic by using information in a way that was just impossible before the mid nineteenth century. Also, we meet Robert FitzRoy! One of the most important people in the history of weather prediction. This video is in the style of people like Adam Ragusea, LindyBeige, and Legal Eagle.”