When Mexico’s public earthquake warning system went online in 1991, it was the first system of its kind in the world, and at that point it used just 12 stations. Since then, the state-funded system, maintained and championed by a small community of Mexican engineers, has expanded to include 98 seismic field stations that send alerts to six cities. Proponents suggest that this system, and others like it around the world, can help ordinary people and automated systems prepare for oncoming earthquakes, saving lives and limiting economic losses. But technologists often elaborate on the benefits of earthquake early warning systems and foreground their promises while neglecting mention of the challenges involved in practical use.Read More