Note: this is just getting all the ideas down before I forget. Will organize as project evolves.

Motivation

This project aims to go beyond mere classification of disaster movies. We seek to distill meaningful lessons and insights from these films, bridging the gap between entertainment and education. By analyzing disaster narratives through the lenses of storytelling, science, and social impact, we will uncover valuable takeaways that can inform, inspire, and potentially save all of humankind!!!

Classification

Classification prompt to o1 GPT: Based on all available information you have for each of the films in the csv file, you will classify each into 1 of the following 10 categories:

10 Types of Disasters

1. Natural Disasters

   These are events originating from Earth's natural processes, without direct human intervention. They include geological events (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions), meteorological phenomena (hurricanes, tornadoes), and hydrological disasters (floods, tsunamis).

2. Environmental Disasters

   While often confused with natural disasters, environmental disasters typically involve human-induced changes to the natural world. This category includes climate change effects, pollution crises, deforestation consequences, and ecological collapses.

3. Technological Disasters

   These stem from the failure, misuse, or unintended consequences of human-made systems and technologies. Examples include nuclear meltdowns, AI rebellions, large-scale infrastructure failures, and devastating cyberattacks.

4. Biological Disasters

   Encompassing both natural and human-engineered biological threats, this category covers pandemics, bioweapon releases, genetic mutations gone wrong, and ecosystem-disrupting invasive species.

5. Cosmic Disasters

   This category involves threats originating from beyond Earth, including asteroid or comet impacts, harmful solar activity, and extraterrestrial encounters or invasions.

6. Supernatural Disasters

   While not scientifically verifiable, supernatural disasters are a staple in disaster fiction. This category includes events caused by mythical creatures, paranormal activities, or unexplainable phenomena that defy known natural laws.

7. Societal Disasters

   These disasters arise from breakdowns in human social structures and interactions. They include civil unrest, revolutions, terrorism, and cultural collapses that lead to widespread chaos or suffering.

8. Geopolitical Disasters

   Focusing on large-scale political conflicts and power dynamics, this category covers world wars, cold wars turned hot, global regime changes, and international conflicts that threaten worldwide stability.

9. Economic Disasters

   This category encompasses catastrophic financial events such as global market crashes, hyperinflation, critical resource scarcity, and economic system collapses that lead to widespread hardship.

10. Psychological Disasters

    A unique category that explores disasters stemming from collective mental states or shared psychological experiences. It includes scenarios of mass hysteria, society-wide delusions, or breakdowns in social cohesion due to psychological factors.

Classification Philosophy

1. Overlapping Categories: We recognize that many disasters in fiction (and reality) don't fit neatly into single categories. Our system allows for and encourages identification of multiple relevant categories for complex disaster scenarios.
2. Scale-Independent: Our categories can apply to disasters affecting small communities or the entire planet, focusing on the nature of the disaster rather than its scope.
3. Cause vs. Effect: We differentiate between the root cause of a disaster and its effects. For instance, a technological failure might lead to environmental consequences, but would primarily be classified as a technological disaster.
4. Fiction vs. Reality: While grounded in real-world disaster types, our system also accommodates fictional and speculative disasters, particularly in the supernatural category.
5. Evolving and Adaptable: This classification system is designed to be flexible, allowing for the addition of new categories or subcategories as disaster fiction evolves.
6. Educational Value: Beyond classification, this system aims to educate audiences about different types of disasters, their causes, and potential interconnections.