Amsterdam Girl Geek Dinner

Getting fired up about studying Volcanoes

Date: Tuesday, 31 August, 2010
Time: 7-11 PM
Location: Flexbar (Pazzanistraat 1, Amsterdam)
Ticket: 22.50 euros (buffet dinner, excluding drinks). Early bird price: 15.00 euros
Subscription possible until: Saturday, 28 August

Click here to get a ticket

Abstract

In the field of Science, Geology is often regarded as a bit of a soft option. Geologists typically have to make do with less than complete information and often have to use educated guesses to fill in the gaps. There is no Nobel Prize for geology but as far back as the time of the ancient Greeks, geologists have busied themselves with finding solutions to some mind-blowing questions like: How old is the Earth? How do you get coral reefs at the top of a mountain? And What really happened to the dinosaurs? I have personally busied myself with: Why do volcanoes erupt? And specifically: Why do some volcanoes erupt more violently than others? Finding possible solutions to these questions has taken me around the world and required not only scientific testing but, in the grand tradition of my “pseudo-science”, significant mounts of imagination too.

Speaker Bio

Jane Chadwick works at the Vrije Universiteit where she is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences (FALW). She gives lectures, takes students on excursions to see geology “in the field” as well as carrying out her own research.
She is a specialist in volcanic systems but is also interested in other aspects of geology including the mechanics of mountain building and how geological processes can be replicated and tested in a lab. Her work takes her to many different locations including Ireland, Scotland, the Alps of Germany, Austria and Italy, Serbia and Montenegro, The Canary Islands, and Indonesia to name a few. Her recent work has focused possible triggers for explosive eruptions in active volcanoes. Jane finished her PhD at the University of Dublin, Ireland in 2008, and has also worked at the Danish Lithosphere Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Jane Chadwick’s website.

Sponsors for GGD #8:

The Amsterdam Girl Geek Dinner is a social event that is intended to encourage women to explore science, technology, and other traditionally male-dominated areas. The idea behind the Girl Geek Dinner is simple — we invite women who are kicking-ass in their respective fields, and we ask them to give an informal talk, where they can describe themselves and their work. This is followed by a Q&A session.

• During the talk, a buffet dinner and drinks will be served.
• After the talk, the bar will open, allowing ample time for socializing and networking.

Men are welcome to attend the Girl Geek Dinner if a female counterpart invites them. Yep, there will be a well-balanced gender representation for once. At that point, we can concentrate on the important things: socializing with interesting people, having thought-provoking chats and lively discussions (including listening to the guest speaker), sipping some fancy drinks and having a good time with each other.

Female high-school aged students (~18 or younger) can attend the next Girl Geek Dinner for free! If you are interested, please email us at organizers@girlgeekdinner.nl.

The Amsterdam Girl Geek Dinner was started by Melanie Rieback and Donna Metzlar, and is also co-organized by Ania Chmielowiec, Marjon Wiendels, Hendrike Peetz, Rhiannon Meredith and Carolina Georgatou. Past contributors can be found here.

We are proud to be part of the wordwide Girl Geek Dinner movement, created by Sarah Blow.