Kate Ravilious Science journalist

Coming up

Physics World

Covid-19 has changed the world as we know it. The pandemic has caused devastation, pain and loss, with no corner of the globe untouched. But for some scientists the unprecedented disruption associated with this catastrophe also brought about a previously unimaginable opportunity. The dramatic fall in air pollution that accompanied lockdown provided a unique natural experiment; enabling scientists to probe some of the long-standing mysteries surrounding cloud formation and better understand the complicated interactions between air pollution, weather and climate.