zythman
- Science
Build a Better Quake Catcher
In earthquake-prone California, where geologists say that the “Big One” is virtually certain to strike before 2040, a few seconds of warning could save lives. Allowing more time to duck and cover is one of the major goals of the new Quake-Catcher Network (QCN), an affordable, citizen-based earthquake-detection system that turns idle laptop computers into seismic sensors.
8.23.2008 at 10:04pm - Comment by zythmanUsing accelerometers in devices to predict quakes is the start of a good idea. The next logical step is to convert confirmed quake data into immediate and automatic safe mode responses in trains, highrise elevators, and gas and water valves to eliminate the weak link in the response chain, the human time lapse in response to earthquake alarm data that is effective in savings the most lives only when the corresponding safe-mode response is immediate.
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