[extropy-chat] A sad day

[Eugen Leitl]

On Mon, Oct 10, 2005 at 12:42:30PM -0400, aiguy at comcast.net wrote:

> Nanotechnology should allow us to create building materials capable of
> withstanding earthquake forces and other natural disasters much better and
> at much lower cost than we are today.

Only for very small values of nanotechnology. Moderately larger
values of nanotechnology already come with incremental remote backups, 
and a dead-man-switch-triggered remote instantiation. "Huh? Somebody
must have nuked me. The second time this kilosecond alone. Nasty neighbourhood."

It is difficult to see a cataclysm capable of eradicating multiple backups,
especially located at astronomical distances (yes, we'll turn this
system into an onion router yet).
 
> Unfortunately such technologies will continue to see little or no adoption
> in economically strapped areas of the world.

If Pentiums grow on trees, all you need is to airdrop a few tons of acorns.
 
> Is there any accurate early warning systems for quakes that would allow time
> for evacuation as there is with hurricanes?

There are already wireless quake warning devices. They can buy you quite a
few seconds, depending on where the epicentrum is. If an primary longitudinal
wave slams the floor into you from below, you might have still time to dive 
under your desk, or for that door frame.

http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/society/earthquakes.htm
 
> And I wonder if our modern architecture and building materials used in US
> major cities would have held up much better in that strong of a quake.

Wood and plaster is not particularly modern, but is about the best architecture
to build housese from in quake country.

-- 
Eugen* Leitl <a href="http://leitl.org">leitl</a>
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ICBM: 48.07100, 11.36820            http://www.leitl.org
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