Getting Through It

Episode 17 -The Air You Can See

Just in time for Clean Air Day, we spend this episode talking about the air you can see, which is not good air. In fact, air pollution affects millions of people around the globe and is a disaster in its own right. Compounding this is the fact that air you can't see can be polluted and also contributes to climate change. Take a journey with Dr. Jones back to her childhood in Southern California where smog days kept her home from school, and find out what you can do now to help clean up the air as an individual and a member of your community.

Episode 16 - Why You Feel What You Feel in an Earthquake

Have you ever felt an earthquake and tried to guess how big it is? You're not alone! In this episode, Dr. Jones explains how magnitude is assigned to a quake, why Charles Richter developed his scale, and why we should really be more concerned with intensity. As we wait for the big one, join us as we help you understand how you can put meaning to what you feel and get through the next earthquake.

Episode 15 - Time and the Inevitability of Disasters

Time is constant, and we often make decisions on a scale that fails to recognize our own limits in understanding time. With a planet that's about 5 Billion years old, and a written history no more than 5000 years old, we have to really work to realize that the natural processes operate on a different scale. This episode delves into the ideas of geologic time, the likelihood of disasters, and how we can manage our moment in time.

Episode 14 - Science in a Crisis: Better, not Perfect

This episode reveals why that latest scientific study may not be your answer in making you feel better during a crisis. As you seek to take control during a disaster, Dr. Jones shares how science is not always about the big picture; it's about going into the weeds and really: isolating a single weed. We share the process of how science can help inform policy-makers in their efforts to address urgent issues in the natural environment, and that no scientific information keeps you perfectly safe, it just makes society safer than without it. Science makes life better, not perfect.

Episode 13 - Five Rare but Possible Disasters That Science Tells Us Can Happen

An Earthquake in New York City? Hurricanes in LA? More than a month of straight rain across California? This episode explores 5 rare but possible natural hazards that are not well-known that could lead to catastrophic consequences. Dr. Jones explains the science behind each event and reveals when they last happened and how often they occur.

Episode 12 - Our Biggest Killer: Extreme Heat

Few people are afraid of hot weather, but in the US, on average it kills more people per year than most other geologic or atmospheric events. And, more extreme heat days are coming. In this episode, we look at extreme heat and what it means for us now and in the near future as we try to keep calm and cool.

Episode 11 - Raging Wildfires

As humans move deeper and deeper into the wildlands as part of sprawling cities, and with a rapidly warming earth, wild fires are more intense and more destructive than ever before. In this episode, we explore wildfires, their causes, the way we view them, and what can be done to protect ourselves from their impacts. You'll also learn about "dragon twists" and how devastating a single palm tree can be.

Episode 10 - Pandemic Frustration: How Cognitive Dissonance, Tribalism, Individualism and Social Norms Norms Change the Way We Hear Public Safety Messages

In this episode, we explore the frustration felt when other people take actions during the pandemic that put other people at risk. We look at the research as to why this happens and how others can work to communicate most effectively with them. As a community, we must work together to address this long disaster for the months ahead because, as Dr. Jones says, "We're all in this together."

Episode 9 - Debunking the Biggest Earthquake Myths

In this episode, we're diving deep into the pool of misconceptions, myths, and legends that seek to explain what makes earthquakes so scary to humans. From the earliest records kept, humans have sought to explain "why" in order to help us feel better about the fact that we don't know when earthquakes will strike. We take a look at time of day, weather, animals, and more to help you get through it when the earth starts to move...

Episode 8 - The Disaster "Blame Game"

In a disaster, systems fail where they are already weak or strained (think of brittle pipes, weak buildings, or overwhelmed levies). Like our physical systems, our social systems function in the same way. In this episode, Dr. Jones explores how society finds scapegoats during a disaster, why, and what we can do about it. And it comes down to trust.