Neil Johnson, a professor of physics at the George Washington University Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, co-authored “The Science of Surprising Catastrophes.” The interdisciplinary book examines how understanding past events and possible alternative outcomes can help people better anticipate catastrophic events.
The book explores a range of catastrophes, including earthquakes, pandemics, financial market collapses, cyberattacks, solar storms, artificial intelligence and geopolitical conflicts. Johnson’s research focuses on complex systems and collective behavior, ranging from physical systems to online social networks.