How does the greenhouse effect work?

Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, prevent infrared radiation from escaping to outer space. This warms the surface of the earth. More greenhouse gas means more warming. Simple enough! Alas, if you look at the numbers, it turns out that most infrared radiation is absorbed almost immediately above the ground, already at pre-industrial greenhouse gas levels. So how does it really work? In this video, Sabine Hossenfelder tries to sort it out. Sabine Hossenfelder has a Ph.D. in physics. She is the author of the books “Lost in Math: How Beauty Leads Physics Astray” (Basic Books, 2018) and “Existential Physics: A Scientist’s Guide to Life’s Biggest Questions” (Viking, 2022).

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