Synopsis
In the winter, I snowboard, ideally off-piste. always wearing a transceiver, carrying a shovel and probe. I take avalanches seriously, because even experienced riders versed in avalanche protocol can be killed by the mountain’s shifting chemistry — layers of snow that seem stable can collapse with a whisper of heat or pressure. So this piece on avalanche science was particularly close to heart for me. I spent time in Davos at one of the world's top research center. And discovered snow is an infinitely complex topic. As one scientist told me: "When I worked on the Apollo space program, I thought rocket science was the hardest form of physics, but snow science is even harder."
