Media
The Science of Studying Eruptions
WNYC, January 9, 2015Radio/Podcast
URL: http://www.wnyc.org/story/please-explain-volcanoes/
In September, over 50 people died during a volcanic eruption in Japan. Iceland continues to experience its largest continuous volcanic eruption in centuries. On this week's Please Explain, we are talking about volcanoes: how are they formed, how dangerous are they, and how scientists monitor them. We will be joined by Mika McKinnon, a geophysicist and journalist with the science publication i09, and David Schneider a USGS Research Geophysicist at the Alaska Volcano Observatory.
Episode 89 - Mika McKinnon
Talk Nerdy, November 30, 2015Radio/Podcast
URL: http://carasantamaria.com/podcast/mika-mckinnon
Cara is joined by the "Master of Disaster" herself, geophysicist and science writer Mika McKinnon. They discuss her work as the science consultant on Stargate, how life was a driving force behind an explosion of earthly minerals, and the improvements Canadians are hopeful for under their new Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau.
What Geology Has to Say About Building a 1,000-Mile Border Wall
Smithsonian, February 7, 2017Online
Compared to erecting a marble palace or high-steepled church, a wall may seem relatively straightforward—it isn’t.
Up close with the awesome power of NASA’s biggest ever rocket
Published by New Scientist
July 4, 2016
They call it the most powerful rocket ever built. NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) is designed to carry astronauts on deep space missions, and after years of development it’s time to certify this monster for flight. I’m in Utah for the final ground test, to take place on the far side of a cluster of anonymous buildings blocked from view by hillsides dried out in the summer heat.
Was Juno the fastest spacecraft ever? Only kind of.
Published by Astronomy Magazine
July 12, 2016
It all has to do with the point of view of the observer, in a sense.
URL: http://www.astronomy.com/news/2016/07/juno-may-not-have-been-the-fastest-spacecraft-ever
North Korea: When is an earthquake a nuclear test?
Published by BBC News
October 6, 2016
The first sign that North Korea had carried out its fifth nuclear test last month was when a massive earthquake was detected by international scientists. As North Korea marks 10 years since its first test, geophysicist and disaster researcher Mika McKinnon explains how scientists have learned to identify these world-shaking events.
As fires rage, emergency responders rely on familiar apps to save lives
Published by Ars Technica
May 9, 2016
Handful of custom apps mixed in the with likes of Periscope, Skype, and Basecamp.
Biography
Mika McKinnon is a physicist and geophysicist specializing in disasters: tsunami, earthquakes, asteroid impacts. Her research focuses on the dynamics of landslides, and predicting where the landslides will travel to mitigate risk. Mika McKinnon is a science consultant in the film industry, bringing plausibility to fictional plotlines. She worked on the Stargate franchise, No Tomorrow, and countless projects locked in the veil of development secrecy. As a science communicator, she sticks to the coolest beats -- planets, rockets, and the end of the universe.
Past Talks
Workshop Leader
2015 Science Communication Camp
Santa Monica, CA
Workshop Leader, Panelist
2017 APS Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics
Harvard University, Boston, MA
Speaker
Another Night of Total Destruction, Science and Entertainment Exchange
Director's Guild of America, Los Angeles, CA
Science Ambassador
2011, 2014, 2016 Science Hack Day
San Francisco, CA
Panelist
2016 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting
San Francisco, CA
Invited Speaker
2013 BC Geophysical Society Annual Meeting
Vancouver, BC
Guest
2012-2017 Dragon Con
Atlanta, GA
Guest
2016 GateCon
Vancouver, BC
Guest
2016 Time Lord Fest
Tampa, FL
Guest
2012 TimeGate
Atlanta, FL