4. Human Seismometers

Seismometers, instruments that detect earthquakes, are extremely expensive to build and maintain. So much so that even earthquake-prone states and countries can’t afford one. That’s a major concern!

Luckily, the smart people at Google figured out how to bypass this problem by ‘coercing’ its users to work for free. Ironically, they’ve therefore developed the world’s largest but cheapest seismometer.

OK, here’s how it works. Your smartphone contains an accelerometer, a device that helps switch everything from landscape to portrait depending on how you’re holding your phone. Just one of these isn’t enough to detect an earthquake, but hundreds if not thousands? If they sync up and work together then they’ll have no problem detecting an earthquake with frightening accuracy.

You know you’ll be working for Google for free when you’re at the wrong place at the wrong time and feel an earthquake! You also don’t have to do anything to activate or deactivate the ShakeAlert, so don’t even think about it.