00:00Britain has just experienced its hottest summer on record, beating a temperature record set
00:05only last year. But scientists are warning about another danger, our changing perception of extreme
00:11weather. Unprecedented heat, drought, flooding, and wildfires are becoming so familiar that they
00:17risk feeling normal. Science writer Helen Pilcher explores this growing concern in a Guardian
00:23Opinion article. A study analyzing more than 2 billion weather-related social media posts
00:28found that repeated exposure makes unusual temperatures feel less remarkable. People
00:34increasingly judge what is normal based on recent experiences rather than historical conditions.
00:39Researchers call this shifting baseline syndrome. The concern is that as extreme weather becomes
00:44familiar, people may lose sight of just how unusual it really is. However, the study found that negative
00:50feelings about extreme temperatures did not disappear. People may recognize the discomfort
00:55without fully recognizing the scale of the change. Pilcher argues that the word unprecedented
01:01must retain its meaning. Because if record-breaking weather starts to feel ordinary, public pressure
01:07for climate action could weaken. The question is whether society will recognize the danger before
01:12these changing conditions become the new normal. Disclosure, this video contains stock footage
01:17and content created or enhanced using AI-assisted tools.
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