Icelandic volcano erupts

[Lilith7]

The length of the fissure has expanded to 3.9 kilometres. This is the same volcano which has erupted 6 times since December.


https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/526445/...-evacuated

[king1]

I'm sure the old saying 'better out than in' must apply here

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Anywhere but here...

[Lilith7]

Yeah, not wanted over here.

On a totally different subject I was wondering earlier about the Vikings & their settlement in America, how long it lasted & whether any Native Americans have Viking DNA. It turns out that some Icelandic people have Native American DNA...fascinating creatures, we humans.

And also idiots...

[nzoomed]

Also some cause for concern with Italy's volcanoes too!
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/202...an-fields/

[harm_less]

Also some cause for concern with Italy's volcanoes too!
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/202...an-fields/

That article seems so reminiscent of the likely scenario if Auckland's volcanic field starting showing signs of activity. The powers that be along with many residents would ignore warnings until the situation became undeniably dire and then t would be absolute chaos as everybody rushed for the exits.

Akin to earthquake predicting the whole thing is fraught with doubt, conflicting interests and fears of liability putting the authorities in a 'damned if I do, damned if I don't' position.

[zqwerty]

I have been watching the earthquake situation around Christchurch since we had the big shakes more than 10 years ago:

http://www.canterbury.quakelive.co.nz/

[Lilith7]

Also some cause for concern with Italy's volcanoes too!
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/202...an-fields/

That article seems so reminiscent of the likely scenario if Auckland's volcanic field starting showing signs of activity. The powers that be along with many residents would ignore warnings until the situation became undeniably dire and then t would be absolute chaos as everybody rushed for the exits.

Akin to earthquake predicting the whole thing is fraught with doubt, conflicting interests and fears of liability putting the authorities in a 'damned if I do, damned if I don't' position.

I recall a TV series from some years back which was about that...I remember vividly the eruption shown in it affecting Auckland - &  in particular that apparently it had no effect whatever on the power supply.

 I suspect I wasn't the only person in CHCH laughing...


Of course had the powers that be known about volcanic fields & quake risks all those decades ago, there probably wouldn't be an Auckland or a CHCH.

[harm_less]

Of course had the powers that be known about volcanic fields & quake risks all those decades ago, there probably wouldn't be an Auckland or a CHCH.

 Problem is that if New Zealand was planned with those risks in mind it would have restricted the options mightily.

[zqwerty]

Not called "the shaky isles" for nothing.

"Ring of Fire" also hints that there may be problems.

[Lilith7]

Really, almost the entire planet is a risky proposition in one way or another.

[zqwerty]

It is a planet but for us it is our world Earth.

There's probably plenty of them (Earth-like planets) in the overall Universe but I don't know if we will ever get to them.

The tyranny of distance, and the limitation of the speed of light plus the time it has all been evolving.

[Lilith7]

It is a planet but for us it is our world Earth.

There's probably plenty of them (Earth-like planets) in the overall Universe but I don't know if we will ever get to them.

The tyranny of distance, and the limitation of the speed of light plus the time it has all been evolving.

It might come down to a race between human genius & human idiocy...  

[zqwerty]

Well if you look at my post on the Shuttle disaster you will see an instance that will lower your expectations as far as human genius goes. Crack engineering teams bought to completion a project completely misunderstanding what was required in order for the boosters to be safe. And having been shown to be inherently faulty and that the function of quite simple components (the rubber O rings) had been completely misunderstood they then went on to try and cover up the whole stuff up.

I posted the tale because it is not difficult to understand what they got wrong and once it is seen you really lose all faith in crack engineering teams doing jobs you can rely on as we are seeing with Boeing Aircraft, Boeing Spacecraft and the Elon Musk Cybertruck.

Even when people are really intelligent when they work together in teams lots of crazy things happen which are only realized in hindsight. The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.

Then Top Level Management and Middle-management will do their best to step aside first by saying nothing is wrong or the problem has been misunderstood or some such, then blaming others, lastly trying to avoid accounting and blame for the problem situation in any way possible by lying and obfuscation.

[Lilith7]

Well if you look at my post on the Shuttle disaster you will see an instance that will lower your expectations as far as human genius goes.  Crack engineering teams bought to completion a project completely misunderstanding what was required in order for the boosters to be safe.  And having been shown to be inherently faulty and that the function of quite simple components (the rubber O rings) had been completely misunderstood they then went on to try and cover up the whole stuff up.

I posted the tale because it is not difficult to understand what they got wrong and once it is seen you really lose all faith in crack engineering teams doing jobs you can rely on as we are seeing with Boeing Aircraft, Boeing Spacecraft and the Elon Musk Cybertruck.

Even when people are really intelligent when they work together in teams lots of crazy things happen which are only realized in hindsight.  The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.

Then Top Level Management and Middle-management will do their best to step aside first by saying nothing is wrong or the problem has been misunderstood or some such, then blaming others, lastly trying to avoid accounting and blame for the problem situation in any way possible by lying and obfuscation.

Yes, saw that...human nature seems the problem, hell bent on arse covering when things go wrong.

[zqwerty]

I think, mostly, Engineers do their best but Management being supposedly superior in their own minds; after all they are in charge of whatever, are quite prepared to take risks, in fact that is a big part of what they do, taking chances and keeping "an eye on the main chance".

So they have a propensity to fail or not quite succeed as they intended and so often feel that they would rather cover up than admit that they were wrong or have in some way failed.

It's more how life itself is set up; if you are too careful, which is what engineering types try to be you won't catch the big fish, so to speak.

The educated guess is how it may be justified, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

The counterpoint is "you can never be too safe", or can you?

It's somewhat of a tightrope walk; inherent in life I feel.

[Lilith7]

I think, mostly, Engineers do their best but Management being supposedly superior in their own minds; after all they are in charge of whatever, are quite prepared to take risks, in fact that is a big part of what they do, taking chances and keeping "an eye on the main chance".

So they have a propensity to fail or not quite succeed as they intended and so often feel that they would rather cover up than admit that they were wrong or have in some way failed.

It's more how life itself is set up; if you are too careful, which is what engineering types try to be you won't catch the big fish, so to speak.

The educated guess is how it may be justified, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

The counterpoint is "you can never be too safe", or can you?

It's somewhat of a tightrope walk; inherent in life I feel.

And at the bottom of it all is greed - oddly enough I was just discussing this yesterday with the two grandsons, & it seems to permeate everything in these times. 

It wasn't always like this; there was a time when safety came before everything else, & consideration for others played more of a part than it now does.  We're a strange species...

[zqwerty]

Not teaching morals and ethics as a Philosophical subject separately in school since religion is not in the curriculum anymore.

[Lilith7]

Not teaching morals and ethics as a Philosophical subject separately in school since religion is not in the curriculum anymore.

Well they should be - they don't stem from religion, they're a part of human nature for most of us. 

Perhaps teaching empathy in primary schools would go some way to help.

[nzoomed]

Also some cause for concern with Italy's volcanoes too!
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/202...an-fields/

That article seems so reminiscent of the likely scenario if Auckland's volcanic field starting showing signs of activity. The powers that be along with many residents would ignore warnings until the situation became undeniably dire and then t would be absolute chaos as everybody rushed for the exits.

Akin to earthquake predicting the whole thing is fraught with doubt, conflicting interests and fears of liability putting the authorities in a 'damned if I do, damned if I don't' position.

Yes thats the way I feel too.
Same scenario as in the film Dante's Peak.