The Earthquake Observers: Disaster Science from Lisbon to Richter by Deborah R. Coen (review)

• Autores: Andrew Jenks
• Localización: Technology and Culture, ISSN-e 1097-3729, Vol. 54, Nº. 4, 2013, págs. 982-983
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Earthquakes are physical and seismic events, but also mental and metaphorical phenomena. This fascinating study examines the boundaries between science and society through the history of modern earthquake science. Indeed, observing and recording earthquakes were not simply about the earthquakes themselves; it also involved the metaphorical shaking and collapsing of sureties in an age of rapid change. Chief among the mysteries of the modern era was (and is) the proper way of understanding the earthquakes themselves.

    The book looks at four case studies from the long nineteenth century�the French Revolution to World War I�where citizens were enlisted in the project of observing seismological activity: California, Switzerland, Scotland, and Austria. The introduction and conclusion relate the book�s findings to the more recent history of seismology and earthquakes, especially to the earthquake that precipitated the Fukushima disaster. Along the way, the author examines tensions between scientific expertise and the perceptions and observations of nonscientists.