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At least two strong tremors were recorded before the 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on August 14. That was the discovery of earthquake expert Luigi Di Sarno, who was part of a team of specialist advisers brought in to help the country prepare for seismic events. Yet after a decade of work, very few of their recommendations, including early warning alerts, have been adopted.
In our latest Insights long read, Di Sarno writes: ‘A quick examination of the data revealed to me that at least two strong motions (with magnitude 4.0 or above) were recorded before August 14 … So the warning signs were there, but nobody – it seems – was looking out for them.’
We stay with Haiti in this week’s podcast which examines the history and political fragility of the country and what that means for the country’s ability to recover from disasters. And David Alexander, a professor of disaster reduction, looks into why aid workers are struggling and assesses the lessons from 2010.
We also look into a new study which has found there are huge benefits in taking just 7,000 steps a day, never mind 10,000. And three experts examine the four factors that increase the risk of vaccinated
people getting COVID.
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Paul Keaveny
Investigations Editor
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Search and rescue workers hunting for victims in Les Cayes, Haiti, on August 17, 2021, after an earthquake shook the country.
Orlando Barria/EFE/Alamy Live News
Luigi Di Sarno, University of Liverpool
A seismic network was put in place after the 2010 quake but, despite recording two ‘strong motions’ before August 14, no alerts went out.
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Kaspars Grinvalds/Shutterstock
Lindsay Bottoms, University of Hertfordshire
A new study finds huge benefit in taking just 7,000 steps a day. Which may come as a relief to those who never quite make it to 10,000.
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Kazantseva Olga/Shutterstock
Vassilios Vassiliou, University of East Anglia; Ciaran Grafton-Clarke, University of East Anglia; Ranu Baral, University of East Anglia
Which vaccine you received and how long ago you received it can influence your chance of experiencing a breakthrough infection.
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Environment + Energy
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Joshua Larsen, University of Birmingham; Annegret Larsen
Wild beaver populations have the potential to significantly alter our landscapes, affecting biodiversity, water quality and pollution.
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Florian Urban, Glasgow School of Art
Roof slopes in traditional Chinese architecture reflect snowfall patterns over a millennium.
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Business + Economy
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Janette Rutterford, The Open University
Tax rises to pay for the NHS recovery could have focused on those who have profited from the pandemic. Bundling these costs with social care reform, however, risks
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Alexis Stenfors, University of Portsmouth
Some traders were panicking to lose positions that now looked hopelessly exposed, while others were trying to make the most of the opportunity.
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Politics + Society
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Satona Suzuki, SOAS, University of London
Japan has a very poor record on promoting gender equality – and it’s political system is no exception.
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Gemma Ware, The Conversation; Daniel Merino, The Conversation
Plus, new research chronicling the experiences of Japanese Americans interned by the US government during the second world war. Listen to The Conversation Weekly podcast.
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David Alexander, UCL
Aid workers are struggling to help Haitians with the latest devastating earthquake. A professor of disaster reduction assesses lessons learnt from the last one in 2010.
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