Ever Wonder? from the California Science Center

California Science Center
Ever Wonder? from the California Science Center

At the California Science Center, we love to wonder and be curious about the world around us. In each new episode, join host Perry Roth-Johnson as he chats with scientists, engineers, museum professionals, and others to find answers to questions you might have wondered. New episodes every other Wednesday.

  1. 09/11/2024

    REBROADCAST... why California has so many wildfires? (with Jared Dahl Aldern)

    Last fall, we opened a brand-new exhibit called Fire! Science & Safety, which invites our guests to explore Casa Del Fuego, Apartment 911 as a fire danger detective, seeking out fire and burn hazards to make their families, pets, and homes safer—both inside the home, as well as outside threats like wildfires. It’s been pretty rainy in California lately, so wildfires have largely faded from the headlines. But throughout 2020 and 2021, we heard about one giant catastrophic megafire after another. It seemed like our state was always burning. Ever wonder why California has so many wildfires? There are many factors at play here—climate change, drought, dead trees, longer fire seasons—but we can also learn a lot about what’s happening today by looking at our past. We talked to Dr. Jared Dahl Aldern (@JaredDahlAldern), an environmental historian and a fire practitioner, who has a wealth of experience researching the history of fire in California, as well as learning from and working with Indigenous people who use fire to take care of the land. He walked us through some important events in our state’s history—from the Gold Rush to the formation of the National Forest Service—that help explain why there’s so much fire today. Have a question you've been wondering about? Send an email or voice recording to everwonder@californiasciencecenter.org to tell us what you'd like to hear in future episodes. Follow us on Twitter (@casciencecenter), Instagram (@californiasciencecenter), and Facebook (@californiasciencecenter). Support the show Support the show

    35 min
4.9
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

At the California Science Center, we love to wonder and be curious about the world around us. In each new episode, join host Perry Roth-Johnson as he chats with scientists, engineers, museum professionals, and others to find answers to questions you might have wondered. New episodes every other Wednesday.

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