Description:

The biblical story of Noah’s Flood served as a template for some of the very first theories of global climate change in the Scientific Revolution, and it is once again being used as a means of imagining and representing anthropogenic global climate change in the 21st century in popular media. This talk considers the historical origins of the use of flooding imagery and metaphors in contemporary climate discourse and the consequences and implications of this recycling for climate action.

Lydia Barnett (PhD, Stanford University) is a historian of early modern Europe whose work explores the intersections of science, religion, and the environment in transnational contexts. Her current book project explores the scientific imagination of global natural disasters at the turn of the 18th century.

This is part of the Buffett Institute Faculty & Fellows Colloquium. On Fridays during the school year, the Buffett Institute hosts Northwestern faculty and/or visiting fellows to present their current research. This forum brings together an interdisciplinary audience to build awareness of global research on campus. The series helps promote dialogue on scholarship and develop a deeper sense of community among Buffett Institute affiliates. Each meeting lasts one hour; lunch is provided. Please arrive early to get lunch and find a seat.