03Apr20 - Landslides

Last Friday we met remotely with Dr. Keaton, Dr. Vadim, and Caitlyn Rainey to discuss ethics in science. The most illuminating bits of the discussion for me were our conclusion that scientific research is heavily affected by human foibles. Although we tend to think of it as a purely objective process, research - for instance, choosing what data to honor, and what to throw out - involves a great deal of human discretion.

Today we'll be meeting with Dr. Paulo Ruiz to discuss landslides, a major consequence of earthquakes and volcanoes for city planning and human life. We're reading through the US Geological Survey's handbook to prepare for this meeting.

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