Wireless Internet Saves Lives in Haiti

Maybe, just maybe, the money that's going to Haiti will help them rebuild better towers and buildings for their country.  I still have friends who are waiting to hear from their loved ones.  It's all so tragic.

Agreed abdlah. It's great to hear how technology is helping to save life's.

Rich Adler!

Yes, there is a theory, that  global warming is not only people's fault. I like   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXTBotdauPo   video on this.

And I guess we all know by now, that the Earth  is  a one big  system.  Sometimes, when a human hurts a head, then he/she feels nausea or struggle from   paralysis. What I mean is that there can be a connection between pollution of the rivers in China and earthquake in Haiti.

However, if the Haitians had constructed earthquake-resistant buildings -- which requires, in some sense, "control" of nature's building materials -- the loss of life and injuries would be much less.

 I agree. But here is another side of story. I think, that kinds of buildings  need special technologies, materials and of course money-  and Haiti is a poor country and doesn't have any of it ( as many other countries that are located in the zone of  seismic activity). So here we have another problem- only certain( small) amount of countries can attempt to control nature. Science demands investments which many countries can't afford  or some countries just do not want other countries have certain technologies. I think it is extremely complicated question to discuss by texting.  

Another thing is that  the more numerous the human kind becomes, the harder the consequences of    nature catastrophes. 200 years ago,  there were not big cities or skyscrapers, so   when  an earthquake happened, just very few of people died.Now, the damage is much worser.

Hi abdlah,

What is fascinating is what was remarkable only a few years ago is now commonplace.  And what is remarkable now will become common a few years from now.  That doesn't mean they are any less valuable.

Indeed, it's our continuing striving to learn more about ourselves and our universe that enables us to provide that wireless data assistance to Haiti.

Hi Mashka,

Yes, sometimes our attempts to control nature produce, unfortunately, unintended consequences.  Many people are extremely concerned about, for example, genetic engineering creating some super virus that decimates the world.  However, genetic engineering could alleviate or cure many diseases.

I agree that we need to respect the forces of nature in the broadest sense, whether its homo sapiens, all the other life forms, the dynamics of weather, etc.  And, certainly, Haiti certainly highlights the power of nature.  However, if the Haitians had constructed earthquake-resistant buildings -- which requires, in some sense, "control" of nature's building materials -- the loss of life and injuries would be much less.

I'm not faulting the Haitians.  I'm just pointing out that our desire to explore the mysteries of nature -- whether it's understanding how to create strong buildings or manipulate microscopic particles to create vaccines -- helps us tremendously.

We certainly are not kings (or queens!).  Indeed, compared to the possibility of intelligent life forms that are millions of years older than us, we would be like mere insects (or worse).  But the human race's obsession to learn and control its environment is what makes us worth surviving.

Mashka: you make a really good point.  And yes, it is a really hard thing to articulate. The man vs. nature thing.  This article was absolutely fascinating because when something like this occurs, the media publicizes which stars are mugging for the camera while carrying a case of supplies off a plane, and Anderson Cooper's faux heroic rescues for ratings- but these guys who are re-connecting these people with the world wide web (if they still call it that these days) are doing a phenomenal job. 

Regarding the nature vs. man thing- it does feel like this is another one of nature's not so subtle ways of reminding us how powerful nature is and how we really are just ants on this earth. Which leads to the question of global warming- do we really have the ability to change the planet's climate with our green house gases and deforestation and etc...? Is it really within our grasp?  

And then theres the inevitable lead in to the spirituality issue, when you get into the philosophy of it- a lot of people in Haiti are quite religious from what I've read. You have to wonder how they look at devastation like this. While environmentalists might be pointing fingers at industry, melting ice caps, more extreme weather conditions, etc..., I'm sure a considerable part of the Haitian population see this as having to do with God/ their religious prophets. 

Either way, the people who are bringing broadband back into Haiti are true unspoken heroes. 

Thanks for the information on how Wireless Internet is helping save lives in Haiti. The stories are heart warming and the lessons priceless.

Somethings it is the "unremarkable" things that are really valuable.

Alan, I am afraid that  our attempts to control the nature makes everything worser.I think control is not an exact word. co-exist probably is  a better one. Respect and control can't go together. We can't respect someone or something we try to control and vice versa. May be the biggest mistake of our civilization is  that we always try to counteract  with the nature, instead of  cooperating may be. I don't know the word probably.But it  is like to go with the flow and against the flow. But I think it is more  a philosophical question. I actually foresee your objections and I agree with most of them:))). However,humans should remember that we have to  be respectful and do not feel ourselves as  the kings of the world.Because we are not.And the earthquake  in Haiti is another proof of it

Hi Bobby Vassallo,

Thanks very much for the info.  I know the Haitian cellular operators worked very hard to establish service as quickly as possible, and many companies donated a huge amount of equipment.

I wrote about WiFi in Haiti, but is WiMAX operating in Haiti?  That would be interesting to learn about.