The Swift Quake

It’s not an earthquake - it’s a Swift Quake! Join us this week as we hear from Jackie Caplan-Auerbach, a geophysicist who studied the seismic impact of Taylor Swift’s concerts 👩🏼‍🎤Tune in to find who really “shakes it off!” 💃

Learn more about Jackie and her work with sound in our bonus interview extra on Patreon!

Episode art for "The Swift Quake." Pictured is a concert with people who have their hands up.

MEET OUR FEATURED EXPERT

JACKIE CAPLAN-AUERBACH

Photo of Jackie. She is smiling and leaning against a post.

Photo from Quanta Magazine

Dr. Jackie Caplan-Auerbach is a professor of geophysics at Western Washington University. Jackie's research centers around geology, from earthquakes to undersea volcanoes, where she finds joy in the Earth's every rumble and whisper.

SWIFT QUAKE SCIENCE

Click here for a neat article from Jackie's university that describes the Swift Quake phenomenon! Here's the seismogram from her lab:

Seismogram comparing the "Beast Quake" to the "Swift Quake" the acceleration over time is much higher in the Swift Quake than the Beast Quake.

If you're curious about seismology, click here to check out the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. It tracks all earthquakes in the US Pacific Northwest so you can see some everyday seismic activity.

And here's a report on the Swift Quake with Jackie and some concert footage:

And finally, here's the Nannaria swiftae, a millipede named after Taylor Swift herself:

Pictured is Nannaria swiftae, a millipede.