Jessica Collins writes:
 |
| Kate Ravilious Photo: Ashley Phun |
For example,
in 1815, Kate tells us, you could look directly at the sun and see its spots.
This was not due to some magical property of people’s eyes at the time, but the
incredible eruption of Mount Tambora in what is now known as Indonesia. The
subsequent sulphur and particle
cloud that travelled far around the
earth suppressed sunlight and caused the global temperature to decrease,
leading the following year to be dubbed ‘The Year Without a Summer’.
The
devastating effects of the eruption were not neglected: the immediate deaths as
well as the subsequent agricultural crisis—which caused the poverty and deaths
of thousands upon thousands—amongst them.
There were
also some cultural effects. Rainfall forced some friends to stay indoors during
their holiday in Switzerland, and they had a contest to see who could write the
scariest story. I can’t remember if Mary Shelley won on the night, but surely
that early draft of Frankenstein meant she won in the long-term? And I can only
guess it was on another day that Lord Byron was inspired to write his poem
‘Darkness’.
Other
inventions resulting from the weather during this time were an ancestor of the
bicycle (an attempt at finding horseless transport not needing scarce crops to
eat), many beautiful paintings, and mineral fertilizers.
Kate
concluded the talk wondering if our current experiences of the drastic increase
in CO2 emissions will result in similar bouts of creativity. I think it already
has (efforts to utilise alternate energy sources as well as developments in
eco-criticism spring to mind) and reflecting on developments of the past seemed
to leave me a tad more hopeful than some of the others in the room. Change is
inevitable, but change is inevitable,
you know? That said, for all involved, it was certainly an engaging (and
accessible!) evening which left us with lots to think about. Thanks, Kate.
Ellie Goodwin writes:
Ellie Goodwin writes:
This talk was
engaging and incredibly well pitched so that even I could just about grasp most
of scientific elements that Kate discussed. She moved between the devastating
human impact of volanoes, such as the estimated 100,000 lives lost in the
aftermath following the eruption of Mt. Tambora in 1815, to the fascinating
creative output prompted by the effects of the volcanic ash that spread across
the globe, moving on to the wider implications of these eruptions for our environment,
and how this is dwarfed by the impact we inflict ourselves through global
warming. She spoke with an assured ease that kept the audience enraptured.
 |
| Eruption of Mount Tambora |
What was
particularly striking for me was the evolution of people’s responses to
volcanic disruption that could be seen throughout Kate’s talk. The prolonged
red sunsets resulting from the ash of the 1815 Tambora eruption inspired the
skies in J.M.W Turner’s paintings. Yet in much of the general population these
skies prompted fear of the wrath of God and a certainty that the world was
about to end. People found causes for the effects of the eruption in religious
and even supernatural factors and, as Kate suggested, perhaps never understood
the real reason for the dramatic weather of 1816, known as ‘the year without
summer’, as news did not travel in that way.
Kate
contrasted this to the Krakatoa eruption of 1883 which produced similar effects
to Tambora, disrupting the weather around the world for five years! Yet, thanks
to the invention of the electric telegraph in between these two major volcanic
eruptions that allowed for information to be shared globally, people could
understand that an Indonesian volcano had caused the disruption and largely
stopped blaming divine or supernatural entities. Incredibly gentlemen
scientists and weather watchers were able to map out the ash travelling from
Krakatoa and their findings are still useful today (they mapped what we now
know is the equatorial jetstream). Science becoming more prevalent and less
difficult to take part in can be seen in the different responses to these two
disruptive volcanoes.
As an English
student, my primary interest prior to the talk was the creative output that
flourished after these eruptions from writers like Byron and Mary Shelley and
painters like Turner and Edvard Munch. But afterwards, the general population
moving from frightened and god-fearing to well informed and capable of
conducting their own scientific observations was what stuck with me the most. I
think this just shows just how rich and informative the talk was, a real
pleasure to listen to!
Ashley Phun writes:
With a line connecting a volcanic eruption to the creation
of Frankenstein by a bored but brilliant Mary Shelley, the butterfly effect
seemed to be a recurring theme of Kate Ravilious’s ‘From Frankenstein to Heinz
Beans’. Indeed, Ms. Ravilious’s speech shed light on the various ways in which
volcanoes have left their mark through checkpoints such as the Great Dying mass
extinction event and the Year without A Summer, where volcano-induced climate
changes triggered a devastating loss of biodiversity and famine-related
migration, respectively. These events have undoubtedly shaped the world we know
today and stand as sobering reminders of Nature’s power.
However, the power of this presentation is also a
testament to Ms. Ravilious’s skills as a speaker. Communicating her points with
clarity and humour, Ms. Ravilious delivered an entertaining presentation that
is effective in its ability to engage with a diverse audience without watering
down important details or the weight of the content. In short, ‘From Frankenstein
to Heinz Beans’ was an illuminating exploration of the often distant threat of
volcanoes as well as its place in our collective history that left its audience
with an appetite for more.
Sally Bavage
adds a short anecdote about camping at Campi Flegrei on the bay of Naples. Kate Ravilious, when asked about
supervolcanoes that are deemed to be on the verge of exploding, mentioned the
one we have probably all heard of – Yellowstone – and also this one at Pozzuoli
(birthplace of Sophia Loren).
The campsite
describes the volcano itself as dormant and even runs school tours that can
walk round in the distinctly sulphurous atmosphere, keeping away from the
bubbling mud pools and fumaroles. We
did, nervous about the warmth coming up through our sandals and the areas
rather casually off-limits (a couple of poles and a bit of plastic tape). We vowed never to stay there again. Sadly, last September a boy on the official
path I followed slipped into a chasm and his parents also died in an attempt to
save him.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41243134
Headingley LitFest is really grateful for the support we received from Leeds University students Jess Collins, Ellie Goodwin and Ashley Phun.
Headingley LitFest is really grateful for the support we received from Leeds University students Jess Collins, Ellie Goodwin and Ashley Phun.
Audience Comments
Very interesting
evening
Very interesting
– Kate is a clear and engaging speaker.
She made this science easily understood! Good slides.
Extremely
interesting and engaging talk, good acoustics and decent venue. Thank you.
Fascinating and
well-presented talk
This talk was
very interesting – so well researched and thoughtfully planed. Kate's voice was clear and 'thrown' very well
to the back seats – a huge thank you.
Learned a lot –
worth attending
V interesting
and informative
Interesting and
well presented talk but I wondered about some of the theories described
Well presented
and clear
Brilliant! Entertaining, informative and well presented
Very enjoyable –
not sure how accurate the 'blurb' was but I enjoyed it nevertheless. Thank you
The talk is
“From Frankenstein to Heinz Beans – how the weather has shaped our world” by
the delightfully adjectival Ms Ravilious, science writer. Well lectured and apprehensible by the
interested layman pace and level. Questions well handled.
The cloudy skies
that occurred during the writing of the Frankenstein novel were an amazing
world-wide event and it is great to hear a sophisticated scientific account of
what happened. Absolutely fascinating
account, with pictures and graphics of volcanic eruptions over the last many
million years
Very enjoyable,
engaging and informative event
Interesting and
clearly presented talk. Scary end – we
need to wake up to climate change
Well organised
and enjoyable evening (but late to start).
Interesting talk. Thank you
Excellent
an informative talk. Well pitched and fascinating content. She made hard science digestible and I
overheard many positive comments about it
Great stuff,
well thought out and building the case very well
So much I didn't
know, so much to worry about, but a great event. Thanks
A really
informative speaker, who clearly loves her topic and had picked out some
interesting stuff
Like the way she
related it to the possibilities of disaster we face today – and made it
relevant. Just think – no famine in
Germany and no Trumps in America.
If only...
