Zena Marchant is a trained meteorologist with a bachelor’s from Penn State University and a master’s from CUNY City College. At the moment, she is working on her LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) as well as a project management certification at New York University. With all of her training and knowledge of natural, and environmental systems, Zena frequently encounters what she considers to be startling misconceptions about weather and other basic facts about the world.
We asked what five common misconceptions about whether she would wipe from the human ideosphere if she could. Here’s some of what she had to say.
Zena Marchant: “Five Things I Wish Everyone Knew About Meteorology”
Having an advanced education about any complex system to which people are frequently exposed means having to hear a lot of nonsensical ideas. Psychology, thermodynamics, economics, and history all fall into this category. Considering the fact that few things are as common as the weather means someone like Zena Marchant has the lion’s share of pet peeves.
1. “It’s only a tropical storm”
When a hurricane comes barreling up the eastern seashore, people get nervous, and rightly so. But many people assume that a tropical storm is not dangerous because it isn’t a hurricane. In reality, tropical storms are categorized as hurricanes when they achieve wind speeds of 75mph. That means a tropical storm can have winds up to 74mph. That’s still dangerous.
2. “Lightning never strikes twice”
While it may be unlikely for lightning to hit the exact same spot twice, it is certainly possible. Zena Marchant rues the fact that in some cases, people will stand in the exact spot where lightning has struck and assume they are safe. They’re not, not as long as the conditions for lightning are still present.
3. “When a tornado approaches, open your windows”
Some people believe that opening windows equalizes the pressure inside and outside of the house, making windows less likely to break. While it may get windows out of harm’s way, it really only removes one small layer of protection from airborne objects. In a tornado, Zena Marchant explains, keep your windows closed, tape them over, and stay away from them.
4. “Drinking alcohol will warm you up”
This dangerous assumption is likely to have caused many, many deaths throughout history. Drinking alcohol can make you feel warmer, but it does not actually make your body warm up, Zena Marchant tells us. In reality, the stress alcohol causes may inhibit your body’s ability to warm itself up.
5. “Red Sky At Night, Sailor’s Delight; Red Sky In The Morning, Sailors Take Warning”
While this saying can be true sometimes, it is not very reliable. A red/orange sky usually indicates a stable high-pressure zone, which means good weather. But similar conditions can also indicate a low-pressure system, making this truism unreliable. It does sound nice, though.
Weather is complex, and it affects us all. After all, it is called “weather,” (that’s another misconception.) So it’s no wonder people come up with all kinds of weird ideas and psudo-superstitions in an attempt to understand it. Fortunately, we have experts like Zena Marchant to help set us straight.
