Nature vs. Fiction in Sci-Fi Movies

Date: 

Tuesday, October 16, 2018, 6:00pm

Location: 

Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA

Miaki Ishii, Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University

Recent volcanic eruptions in Hawaii and Guatemala remind us of how devastating these geological eruptions can be. Popular culture depictions of volcanic disasters found in movies like Dante’s Peak and Volcano can strongly distort the public’s understanding of volcanic activity and its immediate effects. As with many science-fiction films, Hollywood depictions of natural phenomena don’t always align with the scientific facts. Seismologist Miaki Ishii will illustrate this point by looking at popular films that depict both scientifically accurate and inaccurate volcanic events. Her comparison will show how volcanoes really affect our lives.

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