The Myth Of Solid Ground, Reviewed

"While researching the book, Ulin joked 'that I would either learn enough about earthquakes to stay comfortably in California or so much that I'd have to move away. As it happens, I came to the former conclusion.'

...But the one thing I did find reinforced almost everywhere was the limitation of official science – of pragmatic science – to encompass large theoretical areas. I think there has been a failure of imagination on behalf of seismologists – and geologists in general – in terms of how they approach the subject of earthquakes. That’s probably because of the failure of prediction to pan out in the 1980s, for instance, when prediction was a big thing – they really thought this was going to be possible. Millions of dollars were spent, papers were written, careers were staked – but it failed to pan out. I think they got scared and, basically, retrenched. Earthquake prediction became the kiss of death."