22. Meteorological “Concussion Theory”: Dynamiting the Sky to Make It Rain
The belief that human actions could invite rain has been around for ages. In ancient times, it was believed that battles were often followed by rain because of religious reasons. In the modern era, that belief was updated with pseudo-scientific theories, revolving around the din of battle shaking the clouds and causing them to release their water. In 1871, former Civil War general Edward Powers wrote War and the Weather, in which he documented several historic battles that were followed by rain.
Powers theorized that the din of battle agitated the clouds, and caused them to release their rain. He took that premise to an extreme conclusion that came to be known as “Concussion Theory”: loud noises could be used to force clouds to yield rain on demand. As Powers put it: “If lightning and thunder and rain have been brought on by the agency of man, when bloodshed and slaughter were only intended, this surely can be done without these latter concomitants“. In 1891, Robert G. Dyrenforth was tasked with testing the theory.