Watching reality TV
Is there a school science fair, anywhere, that doesn’t feature at least one model of a volcano? Lots of papier-mache, fake rocks and the eventual drool of coloured goo to represent the lava flow. Large sheets of Bristol board with diagrams of the cone in dissection.
Elsewhere, we’ve had historical recollections of explorers and other world travellers, giving their impressions. One mustn’t forget those yellowed piles of National Geographic in rear of the public libraries. Not enough, any more…
Now, I have access to real-time full colour video, from a growing number of “hot spots”, available via my web browser. Discovery TV, you’ve become a has-been in the reality reports that I can access. Mt. St. Helen’s WA, Kilauea Hi, Augustine AK. One aggregator site has over three dozen available, with more coming.
To be fair, the shows are not (usually) spectacular; the average volcano watch is more akin to a paint-dry watch or a grass-grow watch, but someday I may see the “view of a lifetime” when the lava rockets out, and the mountain splits asunder. I’m waiting, and then I’ll write about it , adding my ration to the “historical recollections of explorers and other world travellers, giving their impressions.” I can hardly stand the stress!
