Human beings are pathetic.
In the broad scope of the universe, we’re a little more than a lucky cluster of atoms.
Natural disasters are a grim reminder of our tiny size. The oceans and mountains of Earth are small on the cosmic scale, but compared to them, we’re microscopic. When they make a large-scale movement, we can be instantly wiped out.
Think about it: If we were bigger and stronger, earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes wouldn’t even be considered “disasters.” They would just be nature. Even our best defenses against them are weak.
It’s enough to make you want to crawl back into bed for a while.
The mountainous southern Asia republic of Nepal was hit with a magnitude 7.9 earthquake over the weekend, and it is shaping up to be the country’s worst in more than 80 years.
With an estimated death toll over 3,700, a Nepali interior minister said it could rise to more than 5,000 casualties. Injuries have already exceeded 6,500 and are still rising, according to a tweet from Nepali police HQ.
The avalanches, landslides, and crumbling buildings that result from an inland earthquake can cripple any country, but when they happen to a developing nation, they’re especially catastrophic.
The 2010 Haiti earthquake, by comparison, was a slightly smaller 7.0 magnitude, and that claimed approximately 100,000 lives, according to USGS estimates.
But even though human beings are small and fragile, we’ve got something going for us…
We are smart.
2014 saw the highest number of natural disasters for a single year on record, yet it had the lowest recorded number of victims.
How is that possible?
Thanks to sensitive early warning systems and improving search and rescue technology, we are fighting our hardest to keep the death tolls down.
We are actually becoming better at surviving these catastrophes.
Vision
I regularly talk about computer vision systems at Tech Investing Daily.
Why?
Because vision is the primary sense of the pathetic human, and when we can augment that sense with digital capability, we become more powerful.
In March, I talked about how vision systems help increase the quality of bulk manufactured materials.
I also closely track developments in self-driving cars.
Most recently, I talked about ETD for detecting traces of explosives or narcotics.
In that story, I mentioned a company called FLIR Systems (NASDAQ: FLIR). But I didn’t talk about its specialty, which is especially applicable to today’s discussion: thermal vision systems.
It’s old tech, it’s affordable, and in an earthquake, it can prove invaluable. People might be buried under earth and stone and be completely invisible to the naked eye, but their body temperature leaves a clear signature on thermal imaging systems.
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In the Haiti earthquake of 2010, thermal imaging was responsible for locating and saving 16 buried quake victims and even a buried pet dog. These thermal imaging systems were made by the Fluke Corporation and donated by their parent company, Danaher Corporation (NYSE: DHR).
British technology company e2v (LON: E2V) deployed thermal imaging cameras for rescue efforts after the Japanese earthquake and resultant tsunami in 2011.
Currently, India’s National Disaster Response Force is in Nepal, and thermal imaging is one of its main tools.
“Locating survivors is technology driven — thermal sensors and heartbeat detectors can find a living person 40-50 feet under concrete rubble. The technology is smart enough to be able to distinguish between a human and an animal. Modern equipment can cut through concrete quickly and precisely, and once a survivor is located, a 15- or 20-foot hole (triangular, since bricks hold well in this shape) can be drilled to lower a camera. A video conversation can infuse hope in a victim, urge him/her to not give up,” an NDRF spokesman told The Indian Express today.
It’s reassuring to know that technology is helping us survive against challenges that seem so massive and dangerous.
It’s a big, scary world. Maybe with machines at our side, it doesn’t have to be.
Good Investing,
Tim Conneally
For the last seven years, Tim Conneally has covered the world of mobile and wireless technology, enterprise software, network hardware, and next generation consumer technology. Tim has previously written for long-running software news outlet Betanews and for financial media powerhouse Forbes.
