Scientists are making use of sensors found in many laptops to create a network that can detect earthquakes.
According to a recent story in Infoworld, Elizabeth Cochran, a seismologist and assistant professor at the department of earth sciences at the University of California, Irvine, along with other scientists, is working on the Quake Catcher Network (QCN), a project that harnesses seismic data from sensors on Internet-connected laptops in different locations to help capture earthquakes. When the laptop isn't being used, special software on laptops collects sensor data, which along with the laptop's location, is sent over the Internet to an earthquake data repository where the data is analyzed.
Amassing sensor data from thousands of Internet-connected laptops could determine an earthquake's intensity and its exact location, which could be helpful for first responders in relief efforts.
If you want to get involved, visit the Quake Catcher Network.
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