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Other London events

What a disaster!

The event will be held upstairs, unfortunately there is no step-free access.
Past event - 2017
15 May Doors 7pm
Event 7.30-9.30pm
Hoop and Toy, 34 Thurloe Place,
London SW7 2HQ
Sold Out!
Natural disasters are one of the few events where the full power of our home planet is revealed. Find out with us how they can be a huge force for destruction and misery, but can also provide opportunities to better understand our earth. During the event there will be a mysterious challenge and special Pint of Science goodies to be won! This event will be held in the “Fagan's Cellar Bar” upstairs  (unfortunately no wheelchair access).

What is a disaster?

Dr Ilan Kelman (Reader)
Ilan Kelman will introduce disaster basics, explaining why they happen by showing how typical environmental events such as earthquakes and storms are made to become disasters through human actions and decisions. The same applies to human-created influences such as climate change. No disaster is inevitable if we choose to reduce vulnerability. His wider research links risk, resilience and global health, preferring to focus on the benefits of acting before a disaster has occurred, rather than waiting until it is too late.

Sublime Volcanoes

Dr Carina Fearnley (Lecturer in Science and Technology Studies)
How can we bring together different groups to help understand natural hazards and manage the risks they bring? Carina Fearnley will explain how interdisciplinary work can provide enormous benefits to the problems that society faces today, that traditional disciplines cannot address alone. By bringing together the wealth of knowledge and techniques of different disciplines a better understanding of the causes and effects of natural disasters can be developed, and more effective solutions found.

Civic science and DIY enquiry

Cindy Regalado (Doctoral candidate)
Disasters can often provide important spaces in which creativity and ingenuity can thrive. Cindy Regalado will talk about her ongoing work through the grassroots non-profit organisation Public Laboratory for Open Technology and Science which was founded in response to the media-blackout and lack of publicly available data on the extent of the damage of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. She will also talk about the current efforts in the 'Do It Together science' (DITOs) project which aims to engage citizens in addressing the challenges of biodesign and environmental sustainability.
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