Curiosity Weekly – "The Batmobile Lab That Chases Storms"
Host: Dr. Samantha Yammine
Guest: Dr. Reed Timmer
Date: November 19, 2025
Episode Overview
In this action-packed episode of Curiosity Weekly, Dr. Samantha Yammine explores the thrilling world of storm chasing and new frontiers in water science and medicine. The episode spotlights Dr. Reed Timmer, one of the world’s most renowned storm chasers, whose armored "Dominator" vehicles resemble real-life Batmobiles and allow for extreme-weather data collection at ground zero. Alongside this adventurous interview, Sam covers two groundbreaking research stories: a room-temperature form of ice that challenges everything we learned in science class, and a remarkable study showing that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines may supercharge the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Discovery of "Room-Temperature Ice" (Ice XXI)
[01:45]
- Dr. Yammine describes the German research group that created Ice XXI, a form of ice that forms at room temperature under enormous pressure.
- How it works:
- Utilizes a diamond anvil cell to squeeze water at 16,000 times atmospheric pressure, within 10 milliseconds.
- An X-ray free electron laser records the rapid molecular shifts—a million frames per second.
- What makes Ice XXI unique:
- It’s an intermediary phase, existing only momentarily under extreme conditions.
- Features a compact, tetragonal crystal structure—different from the familiar ice cubes (Ice I) in your drink.
- Implications:
- Reveals new science about water's behavior, especially for planetary exploration.
Notable Quote:
“Forget what you thought you knew about the three phases of water. Scientists in Germany have discovered something new: ice that can freeze at room temperature.” — Dr. Samantha Yammine [01:45]
2. Extreme Storm Chasing with Dr. Reed Timmer
A. Dr. Timmer’s Background & Motivation
[09:11 – 09:39]
- Dr. Timmer has intercepted over a thousand tornadoes over 30 years of chasing.
- Childhood inspiration: driven by an early love of science, genetics from his mother (a science teacher), and curiosity about weather extremes.
Quote:
“My deep rooted passion was always for meteorology and storm chasing. When I got my driver’s license in 1996, that changed everything because I didn’t have to wait for the storms to come to me anymore.” — Dr. Reed Timmer [09:39]
B. The "Dominator" Vehicles – The Real Batmobile
[10:28 – 12:32]
- Custom-built, armored vehicles designed to survive inside tornadoes and hurricanes.
- Outfitted with:
- Miniaturized sensors fired into storms via rockets.
- Anchoring spikes that drill into the ground.
- Purpose: To gather never-before-seen ground-up data on tornadoes, especially wind speeds and thermodynamics.
- Safety features: Designed to always direct wind force downward to avoid being flipped.
Quote:
“We have armored storm-chasing vehicles… custom built to survive a tornado. We shoot rockets into the tornadoes that have miniaturized sensors in the nose cone… and we intercept the tornado with our tank-like vehicles.” — Dr. Reed Timmer [10:41]
- Distinctive look: The Dominators look like “a street sweeper or the Batmobile,” instantly recognizable, especially in Tornado Alley.
[12:43]
“They have a very unique look. It almost looks like a street sweeper or the Batmobile… A lot of times they think severe weather is imminent when they see it, but a lot of people get excited, too.” — Dr. Reed Timmer
- Inspiring a new generation: Kids are making Lego and 3D-printed Dominators to learn and participate in storm science.
C. Inside the World's Most Dangerous Storms
[13:43 – 15:26]
- Dr. Timmer discusses Hurricane Melissa (2025), which rapidly intensified to Category 5 before Jamaica landfall:
- Exhibited rare “beta drift” behavior and sudden course changes.
- Highlighted challenges for hurricane hunters and fascinating interactions with terrain.
Quote:
“A hurricane that is moving at three to five miles an hour… will do those step-function shifts in path… That sharp turnoff to the northeast I thought was fascinating.” — Dr. Reed Timmer [14:05]
D. Chasing Hurricanes vs. Tornadoes
[15:32 – 17:06]
- Key challenges:
- Hurricanes are massive, slow-moving targets. Chasing means riding out the storm and managing dangers like storm surge.
- Tornadoes are smaller but more violent; require dynamic, high-precision driving.
- Data collection in hurricanes is different; difficult and risky because of flooding, debris, and storm surge.
Quote:
“Tornadoes are much more of a chase. You’re driving after them, reading the storm, trying to see where the tornadoes are going to happen.” — Dr. Reed Timmer [16:36]
E. The Art and Science of Getting Close
[17:10 – 19:51]
- Tornadoes: Dr. Timmer’s core focus is gathering data at ground level because so few tornadoes have ever been directly measured in this way.
- Risks: The Dominator can handle up to 175 mph winds, but Dr. Timmer hopes for a future “Dominator 5”—shaped like a flying saucer for better stability.
- Close calls: He recounted a moment when a suction vortex spun his vehicle, possibly even dissipating the vortex due to the Dominator’s bulk.
Quote:
“I thought we were weightless for a split second…It was such a quick, compact vortex that it didn’t have enough time to throw the dominator… It may have even dissipated it.” — Dr. Reed Timmer [18:49]
- Safety tips: Best way to observe is via livestreams and weather radar. Do not try to storm chase on your own without expertise.
[19:56]
“Yeah, definitely there’s a way to witness them safely…Watch the live streams…But there are dangers associated with it.” — Dr. Reed Timmer
F. Dr. Timmer's Message
[20:49] “Never stop chasing.” — Dr. Reed Timmer
3. COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines and Cancer Immunotherapy
[23:02 – 27:06]
- New research: Receiving a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine within 100 days of starting cancer immunotherapy may dramatically improve survival for patients with lung and skin cancers.
- Study details:
- Reviewed patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma and melanoma treated from 2015–2022.
- Vaccinated patients lived significantly longer than unvaccinated controls—nearly double in lung cancer; so dramatic for melanoma, average survival was not reached.
- Hypothesis: The immune activation from mRNA vaccination amplifies the effectiveness of checkpoint inhibitor drugs by priming killer immune cells.
- Not seen with flu or pneumonia vaccines—appears unique to mRNA COVID vaccines.
- Historical connection: Links back to pioneering immunotherapy attempts over a century ago (Dr. William Coley, BCG vaccine, HPV vaccine).
- Next steps: Plans for phase 3 clinical trials to validate and bring this effect to more patients.
Quote:
“People with advanced cancer who got an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine lived almost twice as long as those who didn’t... researchers think maybe the mRNA vaccines rev up the immune system in a way that makes the inhibitor medication work better.” — Dr. Samantha Yammine [24:06]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On chasing storms:
“It’s really all I’ve ever done is storm chase and study meteorology.” — Dr. Reed Timmer [09:17] -
On inspiring young scientists:
“They’re all making model Dominators out of Legos. They’re 3D printing, they're writing code…They’re already teaching themselves how to storm chase.” — Dr. Reed Timmer [12:55] -
On risk:
“We have a lot of trust in the design… We want to make a Dominator 5 that’s shaped more like a flying saucer.” — Dr. Reed Timmer [18:49] -
On witnessing storms safely:
“Yeah, definitely there’s a way to witness them safely… watch live streams…But it’s easier said than done to stay out of the path of a tornado.” — Dr. Reed Timmer [19:56]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 01:45: Discovery of "room-temperature ice" (Ice XXI)
- 08:14: Introduction to storm chasing and Dr. Reed Timmer
- 10:28: The Dominator vehicle’s unique features and sensor technology
- 13:43: Behind-the-scenes insights on Hurricane Melissa
- 17:10: The difference between chasing tornadoes and hurricanes; risk factors
- 18:49: Close calls and the quest for safer Dominator designs
- 19:56: Safe ways to observe storms
- 23:02: mRNA vaccine research and cancer immunotherapy breakthrough
Conclusion
This episode of Curiosity Weekly provides an electrifying look inside the world of storm chasing science, from bulletproof vehicles hitting the highway for the most dangerous data, to unlocks in water chemistry that challenge basic physical science, and closes with medical research that may change the fight against cancer. Dr. Samantha Yammine weaves together adventure, innovation, and discovery—making the marvels of modern science accessible and thrilling for all.