How Google’s Earthquake Alerts Protected Millions — And How to Turn It On in Quake-Prone Countries When two massive earthquakes (7.2 and 7.5) struck Venezuela recently, the country had no national early warning system. But millions of Android phones lit up with loud alerts seconds to minutes before the shaking hit — giving people precious time to drop, cover, and hold on. Google’s clever system turns the accelerometers in over 2 billion Android phones into a giant crowdsourced seismic network. It detects the first waves, confirms the quake, and blasts notifications to users in the affected area. In Venezuela, it reached 11.4 million people — proving technology can save lives even where governments can’t. How to activate it (works in nearly 100 countries): Open Settings on your Android phone. Tap Safety & Emergency (or search for “Earthquake alerts”). Select Earthquake Alerts and toggle it ON. Keep Location services ena...
Small wonder that scientists want to copy the cockroach, one of the most durable creatures around. But Harvard roboticists are now one-upping the insect with Harvard's Ambulatory Microbot (HAMR). The new, next-generation HAMR can walk on land, swim on the surface of water, and walk underwater for as long as needed. What gives HAMR its terrain flexibility are the multifunctional feet, made of electrowetting pads (EWP). The focus of electrowetting is reducing the surface tension in a liquid/solid interaction via electricity. That is, an electric charge makes it easier for materials to break a water surface. With its electrowetting pads submerged and activated, the HAMR can move across the surface of the water. With four pairs of asymmetric flaps and custom-built swimming gaits, the HAMR paddles in a manner that's similar to a diving beetle. HAMR’s size is key to its performance. If it were much bigger, it would be challenging to support the robot with surface ten...