Amazing. During the Venezuela earthquake, Google used its Android phone network’s accelerometers as mini-seismometers.

When many phones detected initial seismic waves (faster P-waves), the system analysed the data, estimated the quake's location/magnitude, and pushed alerts to people phones to prepare for the more destructive waves to follow.

Google's system sent warnings to 11.4 million people in Venezuela.

Even if it only a tiny fraction of these alerts saved lives, Google may have saved tens of thousands of people and prevent a similar number of injuries.

Goes to show you what technology can do and why people like myself celebrate and cherish human progress.

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