Rubberneckers. Voyeurs. Troublesome onlookers. Humans have always been captivated by dramatic events.
The recent film Twisters – a sequel to the 1996 Twister – highlights our ongoing fascination with large-scale and potentially catastrophic natural events. However, while these films show professional ‘storm chasers’ looking for action, it’s now also possible for anyone with a phone to record their experiences of extreme weather. As a result, during any tornado, hurricane or flood, it’s easy to find hundreds of people online sharing footage – and often hundreds of thousands of people watching them live.
But, what drives us to watch these events? Why do people choose to stream their experiences? And, importantly, how does viewing such footage affect our understanding of hazards and our decision-making?
This exciting mini-lecture was delivered by
Dr Simon Dickinson
from the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences (SoGEES). Attendees saw footage of recent extreme weather events and learnt about research that attempts to answer the above questions.