Could you survive a natural disaster?

13 December 2018

How have natural disasters shaped our world, and how will we cope with them in the future? These are the big questions raised by the latest Oxplore topic, and answered by Hertford Engineer, Prof. Manolis Chatzis.

When he was 15, Manolis and his family survived a violent earthquake in their home city of Athens. Today he is an earthquake engineer, designing new ways to protect buildings from seismic shaking and building collapse. In a new video for Oxplore, he shares his research and explains why designing buildings for earthquakes is a bit like building a car.

Oxplore is an innovative digital outreach portal from the University of Oxford. As the ‘Home of Big Questions’ it aims to engage those from 11 to 18 years with debates and ideas that go beyond what is covered in the classroom. Big questions tackle complex ideas across a wide range of subjects and draw on the latest research undertaken at Oxford. Oxplore aims to realise aspirations, promote broader thinking and stimulate intellectual curiosity.

You can watch Manolis’s video and explore the latest ‘Big Question’ at www.oxplore.org