By downloading a free program, you and your laptop
could help researchers pinpoint earthquakes and even sound an early
warning to surrounding areas.
Newer models of laptops manufactured by companies
like Apple and Lenovo contain accelerometers — motion sensors meant to
detect whether the computer has been dropped. If the computer falls, the
hard drive will automatically switch off to protect the user’s data.
“As soon as I knew there were these low-cost
sensors inside these accelerometers, I thought it would be perfect to
use them to network together and actually record earthquakes,”
geoscientist Elizabeth Cochran of the University of California at
Riverside says.
So if you’ve got one of those newer laptops, download the program here. Given the increased seismic activity lately, it could come in handy.
