Mika McKinnon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mika McKinnon
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| Alma mater | University of California, Santa Barbara The University of British Columbia |
| Known for | Disaster research, Stargate |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Geophysics, Disaster Research, Science Communication |
| Institutions | SETI Institute FEMA Gizmodo Natural Resources Canada |
| Thesis | Landslide runout: statistical analysis of physical characteristics and model parameters (2010) |
| Academic advisors | Oldrich Hungr |
Mika McKinnon is a Canadian scientist who studies the Earth (a geophysicist). She also researches disasters and helps explain science to everyone. She works on a cool space project called ESPRESSO. Plus, she was a science helper for the TV shows Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe!
Mika McKinnon's Early Life and Education
Mika McKinnon was a student in the Summer Science Program in 2000. This program teaches young people about astronomy. Later, she helped lead the program and gave talks there.
She earned her first science degree in Physics in 2005. This was from the University of California, Santa Barbara. While there, she helped restart the physics student club. She also organized talks about science in movies and TV shows.
In 2010, she earned her master's degree in geophysics. This was from the University of British Columbia. Her studies focused on landslides. She learned how to predict where landslides might go. This helps reduce harm to people and places.
After finishing school, Mika noticed something important. Women in her field were sometimes hired for less pay than men. This made her a strong supporter of women and minorities in science.
Researching Disasters and Space
Mika McKinnon loves to study how to manage disasters. She focuses on being ready for them and telling people what to do. She works where science, helping people, and rules meet.
She teaches science to people who manage emergencies. She helped update the science lessons for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). She also works on projects with Natural Resources Canada.
Mika is a lead scientist on Project ESPRESSO. This project studies surfaces on other planets, asteroids, and moons. Her job is to use her knowledge of landslides on Earth. This helps make space missions safer for robots and astronauts.
Project ESPRESSO is a big team effort. Seven different groups work together on it. It was chosen by NASA as an important space exploration project. Mika also works at the SETI Institute, which is part of the ESPRESSO team.
Sharing Science with Everyone
Mika McKinnon won the E. R. Ward Neale Medal in 2022. This award is for people who do a great job sharing Earth science with Canadians.
She started sharing science while studying at UBC. The TV show Stargate: Atlantis asked for a physicist to help with their science stories. Mika helped them make the science in the show more accurate.
After graduation, she kept working as a science consultant for Stargate: Atlantis. She also helped with Stargate: Universe. More recently, she has advised on shows like Doomsday: 10 Ways the World Will End, No Tomorrow, Madam Secretary, and Star Trek: Discovery. She once said that seeing how the media reported on a big landslide made her want to explain science better.
Mika used to write for Gawker Media, covering popular science topics. She later became a science writer for Gizmodo. She writes about many things, like space, dinosaurs, and disaster readiness. Her articles have been in magazines like Wired UK, Smithsonian, Ars Technica, and Astronomy.
She also volunteers for the National Academy of Sciences Science & Entertainment Exchange. She helps TV shows and movies show science correctly.
