Join us for this special event as part of the 2024 ESRC Festival of Social Science.
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?
Join for an exciting mini-lecture (20–30 minute duration) with
Dr Simon Dickinson
from the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences (SoGEES). Attendees will see footage of recent extreme weather events and learn about research that attempts to answer the above questions. Will his answers give you that much-needed evidence that scrolling TikTok videos might actually help save your life?!
This mini-lecture will be held in Room 205, Smeaton Building at the start of every hour. The first session will begin at 10:00 with the last starting at 15:00.
