Getting Through It

I’ve been a fan of Dr. Jones since she had a baby on her hip and I had one on mine. When the 1987 Whittier Quake struck nearby, I decided the more I knew about seismology and California’s amazing geology, the calmer we would all be during and after the next earthquake. So when the 1994 Northridge Quake struck – oops, we’d moved and it was nearby – no one in the family was traumatized. My career as a visual journalist at the time also allowed me to dig more into the science, the work of Dr. Jones and colleagues like Kerry Sieh, and even their worthy predecessor Levy Noble, who first mapped the southern San Andreas. I admire L.A.’s own “Seis-Mom” and appreciate her continued service to the public in retirement. Now that I’ve retired, too, I have more time to dig into Cali’s landscape and why it’s so fabulous – not to mention scary. Thanks for helping us get through it, Lucy.

Science is processes and any scientist learns to think process as part of their training. This is why frequently information about a subject can change with time. Unfortunately in the US, many people think science is an answer instead of a process, and are unsatisfied when scientists don’t seem to be able to automatically come up with a single answer. Also Dr. Jones’s expertise on disaster reporting and planning gives her insights on why people are not always getting the information than the public health experts want the public to know. It all about communication. And by the way, If you are around other people wear a mask!