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!

Date: Tuesday, October 7, 2014

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.

Event Description

The entire Pacific Northwest is sitting on a geologic time bomb known as the Cascadia Subduction Zone. When this fault line slips we could experience earthquakes and devastation as bad as Japan suffered in 2011, and coastal communities could have as few as 20 minutes before a tsunami rushes ashore. Yes, that’s WHEN it goes, not IF.

Yet it’s not all doom and gloom. Scientists and engineers are working to prepare our communities and infrastructure to withstand such devastation. Yumei Wang, geotechnical engineer, Geohazards Team Leader from the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI), will talk about what is in store for the Pacific Northwest and how cities are preparing. We’ll also be joined by a disaster preparedness expert from the Red Cross who will give practical ideas for how to prepare yourself and your family.

Event website

*A note on the suggested cover at the door: Science on Tap is mostly supported by money collected at the door. We are 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.