Imagining Cataclysms (originally aired on June 5, 2020)
Constant Wonder - Season 2022, Episode 604
- Aug 10, 2020 6:00 am
- 52:51 mins
How Paradise Went Up in Flames Guest: Alastair Gee and Dani Anguiano, authors, "Fire in Paradise: An American Tragedy" Destroying thousands of homes and claiming the lives of 85 people, the Camp Fire was among the deadliest in history. Reporters returned to Paradise, California to unearth stories of heroism and bravery amid the tragedy. Blame the Scientists for Not Predicting an Earthquake? Guest: David Alexander, Professor, Risk and Disaster Reduction, University College London, and Vice-President, Institute of Civil Protection and Emergency Management On April 6, 2009, an earthquake shook the city of L'Aquila, Italy, and took the lives of 309 people. After the rubble was cleared, five scientists and one government official were charged with committing manslaughter for not warning the residents of L'Aquila before the earthquake happened. The judge found them guilty and they were all sentenced to six years in prison. Did the judge make the right call, or did he not understand the science at play?