As the wind raged around the Science Center last Wednesday, students and hurricane experts gathered data from hurricane Harvey. Unlike other hackathons, there were no prizes here. Why would you join?
The Harvey Hackaton was held in the Science Centre.
Anamitri, Master of Aerospace Engineering
“In my study, I do not interact much with other studies. I wanted to discover what’s going on. The number of hurricanes is increasing. Throughout the day you could study different subjects in teams. In this way, we collected data for the researchers. Ten people were busy filling out spreadsheets with information. I looked at the impact on airports, infrastructure and the financial side. “
Karin, Civil Engineering
“I think it was a very laid-back atmosphere. We not only downloaded and processed data, but also got talks on different subjects. What I find very interesting is the role that social media plays in disasters. Relief organisations get a lot of information there. In addition, it is interesting that hurricanes cannot be predicted, they just happen. You have to try to deal with them as well as possible.”
Vivek, Robotics Engineering
“Because we were all volunteers, this hackathon was more idealistic. We could leave whenever we wanted, and we could always change the subject. I have no background in hurricanes and I found it an interesting idea. My roommate came up with the idea of going and so we went together. There was a drink and a free lunch!”
Chris, Civil Engineering
“This is the first time I joined an event like this and I did not expect it to be so social. The talks were informal and I got to know a lot of people. It was also a good opportunity to speak to researchers. I grew up in the Philippines where there are many hurricanes. It was a pleasure that we could help people with this day. “
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