One of my favorite classes to teach is one aimed at non-science majors. Originally pioneered by Dr. Kevin Furlong at Penn State University, the idea is to use clips from Hollywood disaster movies to expose misconceptions, encourage discussion and invite students to discover the truth. Can you really drive over a lava flow in a jeep? (Dante’s Peak) Are we foolish not to prepare for a major earthquake in New York City? (Aftershock) Could global warming melt the polar ice caps turning “dry land” into a myth? (Waterworld) Would the impact of an asteroid the “size of Texas” kill half the Earth by heat and freeze the remainder in a nuclear winter? (Armageddon) Learn the fundamentals of plate tectonics, how petrologic properties control volcanic explosivity, how to calculate earthquake locations from seismic data, and prepare a disaster readiness plan for a major U.S. city. By the end of the semester students should have acquired the background to understand the story behind disasters in the news and the role of the science in shaping disaster planning policy.
-
Recent Posts
Recent Comments
Archives
- March 2024
- December 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- January 2021
- November 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- January 2020
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- August 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- October 2015
- August 2015
- May 2015
- November 2014
- October 2014
- March 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- April 2013
- November 2012
- October 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- February 2012
- November 2011
- October 2011
Categories
Meta