Pifanjr
Pifanjr t1_j6newun wrote
Reply to comment by Cubusphere in TIL about cargo cults, where indigenous people of small tropical islands would perform elaborate rituals to mimic air traffic control and marching patterns after witnessing airplanes drop supplies on airforce bases during world war II. by sciencedit
With the rain dance one there is some speculation that the dust being kicked up and thrown in the air during the dances actually could cause an increased chance of rain to fall, under the right conditions.
Pifanjr t1_j6o0qts wrote
Reply to comment by [deleted] in TIL about cargo cults, where indigenous people of small tropical islands would perform elaborate rituals to mimic air traffic control and marching patterns after witnessing airplanes drop supplies on airforce bases during world war II. by sciencedit
I did stumble upon this during my quick Google search: https://ultraphyte.com/2012/01/08/rain-dance-makes-rain/
It says that it's actually microbes, not dust, that is responsible for rain forming. Something I've never heard of before.