There will be a free seminar presented via Zoom by the Geography Dept at the University of Illinois on March 25, 2021 called "Rivers of Power: How an Ancient Force Still Rules Us All" by Laurence Smith of Brown University. Dr. Smith wrote the book "Rivers of Power: How a Natural Force Raised Kingdoms, Destroyed Civilizatioons, and Shapes Our World"
"This talk will explore some of the many ways that humans have used rivers over time, and how we continue to do so today. Since our earliest cities established along the Tigris-Euphrates, Indus, Nile, and Yellow rivers, anthropogenic use of rivers has changed over time and varied by region. Yet their critical importance has persisted because they provide five fundamental benefits: access, natural capital, territory, well-being, and a means of projecting power. The manifestations of these benefits have changed, but societal demands for them have not."
See: https://calendars.illinois.edu/detail/6562/33404572 for info and Zoom link. This is open to the public.
