Saving Lives Using the "Apple Seismometer": A Tale of Two Earthquakes

Seventeen years ago, I was a third-year engineering student at Istanbul Technical University pursuing an internship in Belgium. On August 17, 1999, a powerful 7.6M earthquake struck near Istanbul, killing 20,000 people and injuring 40,000. Our student house was damaged and my roommates escaped with mild injuries -- a few cuts and bruises on the head and body and sprained ankles. All had to live outside for a week. Most said that I was lucky to be in Belgium instead of Istanbul during the earthquake, but some commented that I missed the harrowing experience.

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