Following an introduction, George Cressman asks Athelstan Spilhaus about his early life and his influences. Spilhaus talks about his mother, his education at the University of Capetown, and how he became interested in meteorology through wanting to work with airplanes. Spilhaus goes on to discuss his work in oceanography and starting a meteorology department at New York University. He talks about the war programs impact on the department the Zworykin-von Neumann-Spilhaus committee on weather control. Cressman asks about the Atomic Energy Commission and Spilhaus discusses his directorship of the first atom test conducted by the military, along with his other leadership roles within the government. Spilhaus then moves on to atmospheric sciences and discusses atmospheric research and climatology. Cressman asks about the future of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and Spilhaus discusses how the AMS focuses on both atmospheric science and the forecasting profession, and that it should not do both. Finally, Spilhaus talks briefly about his mechanical toy hobby and the museum he created.