Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, enjoy a pint, and laugh while you learn. Listen to experts talk about the science in your neighborhood and around the world. You don’t have to be a science geek to have fun—all you need is a thirst for knowledge!

COST: $8 online advance tickets, $10* suggested cover at the door

FOOD & DRINK: Beer, wine, popcorn, and snacks available. You’re welcome to bring food into the theater with you.

DESCRIPTION:

From flying machines to computers to lasers to lidar, technology has revolutionized the study of earth science. That’s good news for Oregon, where scientists at the Department of Geology and Mineral Industries are using lidar to learn more than ever before about the widespread geologic hazard of landslides.

Engineering Geologist Bill Burns will talk about the destructive power of landslides, risks for Oregon’s people, places, property – even our beer – and how lidar is making a difference.

*A note on the suggested cover at the door: Science on Tap is mostly supported by money collected at the door. It is committed to offering educational opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $10 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

Shaken, Not Stirred: The Coming Great Cascadia Earthquake

DATE: Tuesday, February 3, 2015

TIME: Doors at 6 p.m. event at 7 p.m.

LOCATION: Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton Street, Portland, Ore.

COST: $8 online advance tickets, $10* suggested cover at the door

FOOD & DRINK: Beer, wine, popcorn, and snacks available. You’re welcome to bring food into the theater with you.

DESCRIPTION: While we can’t predict exactly when the next Great Cascadia Earthquake will happen, we CAN forecast the probabilities from a long history of past earthquakes. The study of the geological history of the last 10,000 years of the Cascadia Subduction Zone has shown that there have been 43 great earthquakes (magnitude 8.0 or higher) along the coast of Oregon, Washington, California, and British Columbia. Some of these earthquakes were probably magnitude 9.0 or higher, and like the 2011 Japanese and 2004 Sumatran earthquakes, they probably also caused large tsunami waves that were devastating all over the Pacific. At this Science on Tap, Chris Goldfinger, PhD, professor of geology and geophysics at Oregon State University, will talk about the geology of Cascadia and his research on the recurrence interval of major earthquakes. While this research may not allow us to pinpoint a date for the next great quake, a better understanding of the geological forces at work can help us prepare.

Event Website

Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, enjoy a pint, and laugh while you learn. Listen to experts talk about the science in your neighborhood and around the world. You don’t have to be a science geek to have fun—all you need is a thirst for knowledge!

*A note on the suggested cover at the door: Science on Tap is mostly supported by money collected at the door. It is committed to offering educational opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $10 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.