I am currently in the process of transitioning my M.A. level course on Science, Technology, and Development with 11 students to virtual instruction. One of my interests in engaging with COVID-19 is to examine how it (should) informs development ideologies and practices. How should students of development studies retool -- conceptually, methodologically, practically -- in wake of the pandemic?
I'm interested in better understanding the ongoing geological processes that shape St. Louis and the Mississippi Valley region. So far, I've been looking into the history of seismicity in the region, focusing on the fascinating but little known history of the New Madrid earthquakes of 1811 and 1812 -- the most devastating earthquakes to have hit the US east of the Rockies. I've also been exploring how St. Louis and surrounding areas are dealing with the possibility of another earthquake occurring in the future. According to one article I read, one of the biggest uncertainties is what would happen to the heavily engineered Mississippi River in the case of another major tremblor. The shaking could break the levees, flooding wide areas along the river and creating cascading effects. The flow of the river might also reverse completely, as occurred during the New Madrid earthquakes.
On these possibilities and the lack of scientific consensus surrounding intraplate seismicity in this zone, see this article in The Atlantic.
On current efforts to create earthquake hazard maps in St. Louis, see this overview on the US Geological Survey site.
For a deeper dive into the history of the New Madrid earthquakes, see this book by historian of science Conevery Bolton Valencius.
“The smell of death was overpowering the moment a relief worker cracked open one of the hospital chapel’s wooden doors.”
“The physician, Anna Pou, defended herself on national television, saying her role was to “help” patients “
The main arguement is that there needs to be a larger emphasis on the biosocial understanding of medical phenomina, to help prevent or reverse disease infection in low income, diverse, or war strikin communities.
Doctors without Borders is a group that not only responds to emergencies and disasters, they also create predictions to problems that are affecting third-world communities. The research that best embodies this is the research conducted regaurding the 'Effect of Mass Supplementation with Ready-to-Use Supplementary Food during an Anticipated Nutritional Emergency' they used this information gathered in Niger to prove that with early intervention in children ages 6 to 23 months you can reduce mortality rate in areas at risk for nutritional deficiency crisis'.
This article has been referenced at least once in 'Making Sense of Disaster' by Howard Davis which focuses on response to acute human disasters.
The article's main focus is on the effects of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans and it's inhabiants. It follows the city through the aftermath of the storm, analzying the rebuilding efforts that were never truly seen to completeion. They describe the goverments' lack luster efforts to help the displaced survivors and thus their continued feeling of displacement by survivors.
The bibliography contains many references to academic studies on PTSD, and other event based mental disorders. this diverseness in bibliography shows a more statistical approach to analyzing the situtation rather than ubjective opinion.