In this final installment of the winter Book Club, we wrap up a winter of exploring The Stillness, learning how volcanologists research lava flows and crater tremors, and even diving into the center of the earth. Ira joins Science Friday SciArts producer Christie Taylor, Caltech seismologist Lucy Jones, and University of Colorado disaster sociologist Lori Peek to talk about the power of earthquakes, volcanoes, and other hazards that shape societies. We also talk about how a natural hazard becomes a human-scale disaster—and who suffers most when a community is insufficiently prepared.
Plus, a roundup of the week's biggest science news, and a story from Arizona about dealing with drought. 

SciFri Book Club: ‘The Fifth Season.’ Feb 15, 2019, Part 1

Natural Sciences

Science & Medicine

Science

Life Sciences

Earth Sciences

While progress has been made in replacing water pipes in Flint, Michigan, many residents say they still don’t know if their tap water is clean or not. Also, scientists are adding sensors to an underwater cable network to monitor changes in the ocean and quickly detect earthquakes and tsunamis.

Flint’s Water Crisis, 10 Years Later | Underwater Cables Could Help Detect Tsunamis

America’s most-consumed fruit is at risk from a fungal disease. Researchers in North Carolina are on a mission to save Cavendish bananas. Also, birds move their vocal organs while they sleep, mimicking how they sing. Scientists have translated those movements into synthetic birdsong.

Fighting Banana Blight | Do Birds Sing In Their Dreams?

Plastics are everywhere, in packaging, clothing, and even our bodies. Could they be made less integral to manufacturing and more recyclable?

Why Is Solving The Plastic Problem So Hard?

Superfund sites contain extreme pollution. Flooding—made worse by climate change—could carry their toxic contaminants into surrounding areas.

What Worsening Floods Mean For Superfund Sites

An explosion of research is painting a clearer picture of how climate change is affecting mental health across the globe. Also, a citizen science project aims to find species that have gone unnoticed by sampling the waters of hundreds of lakes worldwide for environmental DNA.

SciFri Book Club: ‘The Fifth Season.’ Feb 15, 2019, Part 1

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