‘A Day in Pompeii’ Sheds Light on the Ancient Roman City

Tom Fudge : Californians live in a land of earthquakes, wildfires and landslides, so we have something in common to the early residents of Pompeii. But the eruption of Mount Vesuvius that destroyed the old Roman city was much more devastating than anything we've been through. In fact, scientists today fear that a similar eruption could kill a million people, given the sprawling nature of Naples.

What we know about the devastation of Pompeii, and the city it once was, is the subject of a new exhibition at San Diego's Natural History Museum. The museum in Balboa Park is hosting the exhibition called A Day in Pompeii .

Guest

• Joseph Smith, curator of A Day in Pompeii exhibit at the San Diego Natural History Museum . He is also professor and chair of the Department of Classics and Humanities at San Diego State University where he teaches Latin and Greek.