April 5, 2012

UCSB History Associates Talk to Look at the Science of Surfing

Catching the best waves requires more than just checking the tide calendar, grabbing a board, and heading down to the surf. With today's technology, it has become a matter of wave prediction data and animated video about key surf spots published in real time on surfing Web sites.

In a talk titled "Surf's Up! But Where and How High?" Peter Neushul, a faculty member in UC Santa Barbara's History of Science program, will discuss the science of wave prediction and finding the best surf in any given area.

Sponsored by the UCSB History Associates, Neushul's talk will begin at noon on Sunday, April 15, at Moby Dick Restaurant on Stearn's Wharf in Santa Barbara. The cost is $20 for History Associates members and $23 for all others. Reservations can be made by calling (805) 893-4388, or by sending a check made payable to the UCSB History Associates to the Department of History, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106.

Neushul completed his Ph.D. in history at UCSB in 1993. His research interests include the military industrial complex, the history of American technology, and mariculture. With colleague Peter Westwick, he has co-taught the department's popular class on the history of surfing.

The History of Science program is a field of study within UCSB's history department, and includes technology, the environment, and medicine.

About UC Santa Barbara

The University of California, Santa Barbara is a leading research institution that also provides a comprehensive liberal arts learning experience. Our academic community of faculty, students, and staff is characterized by a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration that is responsive to the needs of our multicultural and global society. All of this takes place within a living and learning environment like no other, as we draw inspiration from the beauty and resources of our extraordinary location at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.