The (ir)Rational Alaskans Mini-Series

In our finale, while the fisherman and fisherwoman of Prince William Sound hope for legal damages stemming from the Exxon Valdez disaster, Exxon fights back. In that fight, they marshal the most-respected psychologist of a generation.

A jury of ordinary Alaskans picks up the Exxon Valdez story. They muddle through the most devastating, and most complicated, environmental disaster in US history. How would they decide the case?

After the unprecedented Exxon Valdez oil spill, a jury of ordinary Alaskans decided that Exxon had to be punished. However, Exxon fought back against their punishment. They did so, in-part, by supporting research that suggested jurors are irrational. This first part, an Alaskan Nightmare, covers the spill and its immediate effects.