SMRTR Science & EngineeringMay 19, 2026Nautilus

The Earthquake Illusion

SMRTR summary

Despite what many people believe, earthquakes are not becoming more frequent — but the rise of social media, automated alerts, and viral videos makes it feel that way. The 2011 Virginia earthquake, though modest, generated more Google searches than Japan's deadly 9.1 magnitude disaster that same year. This "availability heuristic" distorts public perception, leaving most Americans underprepared for genuinely devastating quakes that scientists say are inevitable.

SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Nautilus.

Read the original article
SMRTR Science & Engineering

Get the next batch of curated summaries in your inbox.

This archive is built from SMRTR newsletter summaries. Subscribe for hand-picked stories without the extra noise.