Brains, Lava, and Logic: A Journey Through Risk

Volcanic eruptions are among the most dangerous natural hazards, yet more and more people live near volcanoes each year. In this talk, we’ll dive into the world of volcanology and uncover how volcanologists work to reduce the impacts of eruptions. I’ll share my own research on volcanic risk as we explore how urban areas are expanding into dangerous zones and the devastating effects of different types of eruptions. We’ll tackle the big question: how safe are we living near volcanoes, and can we really protect ourselves from such powerful events? Let’s find out!

There is no denying the impact Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) has on our daily lives. Google Search and ChatGPT have become our go-to, find-me-the-answer apps. But what exactly are these new-age intelligent applications? What drives them? Is it really mind-boggling? Are our efforts to capture knowledge using a machine — aka a computer — something really new? Let’s find out together with a few (non-alcoholic ????) pints.