How volcanologists predicted Kilauea’s explosive eruption

PLUS: Elon Musk's tunnel vision for Los Angeles, a shape-shifting robot that evolves by falling down, and a guide to (not) watching the royal wedding. [View this email in your browser]( [logo]( [[WIRED Magazine]5.18.18]( After days of slowly oozing its lava over [swathes of Hawaii’s Big Island]( Kilauea suddenly erupted yesterday, sending a massive cloud of ash and steam 30,000 feet in the air. Scientists hadn’t seen anything like it since 1924. But fortunately, no one died—because [no one was surprised](. “Kilauea and its sibling volcanoes, sitting atop a ‘hot spot’ in Earth’s crust, are where volcano observation started,” writes deputy editor [Adam Rogers](. “They’re literally a textbook case of how close observation with high-tech sensors can teach scientists to forecast disaster, and by forecasting it, avert it.” At Kilauea—and other high-risk volcanoes like Mount Etna or the volcanic network at Yellowstone National Park—scientists use not just seismometers, but ultra-sensitive GPS receivers, tiltmeters embedded in rock faces, gas sensors, and satellites to pick up the slightest subsurface shifts. Which is why they’ve been able to keep ahead of Kilauea, warning residents about each next phase of the eruption before it happens. (And since Kilauea burped up piping hot boulders—ouch!—after exhaling the toxic gas cloud, advance notice is essential.) “At Kilauea they really understand better than at most volcanoes how the subsurface is organized,” says Natalia Deligne, a volcano hazard and risk modeler with GNS Science in New Zealand. “The important thing is they’ve had many eruptions to really understand the system.” That’s one good thing about volcanoes, at least: The more they [launch lava skyward]( the less dangerous they become. Also: Elon Musk’s [tunnel vision for Los Angeles]( a shape-shifting robot that [evolves by falling down]( and a guide to [(not) watching the royal wedding](. Dig Deep Elon Musk Presents His Tunnel Vision to the People of LA By Jack Stewart and Aarian Marshall The Boring Company CEO presented his idea for slaying traffic to a packed crowd in Los Angeles, sharing specs and engineering details and promising to beat his pet snail in a race. Walk This Way The Shape-Shifting Robot That Evolves by Falling Down By Matt Simon Evolutionary robotics is a potentially powerful way to get machines to master novel terrain on their own, no hand-holding required. Tips and Tricks How to Not Watch the Royal Wedding By Josie Colt You have been invited to virtually attend Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s marriage this weekend. But frankly, you don’t give a damn. Disasters How Volcanologists Predicted Kilauea’s Explosive Eruption By Adam Rogers Scientists are now warning that the next phase of eruptions could send very large boulders as far as a mile from the crater. [advertisement]( [Powered by LiveIntent]( [Ad Choices]( [WIRED Magazine Subscription] Get Wired Get unlimited access to an ad-free WIRED.com + a free YubiKey. Start your free trial now. Ideas It’s Not Net Neutrality. The Real Issue Is Internet Freedom. By Susan Crawford The Senate vote wasn’t about net neutrality. It was about making world class internet, in all its forms, a powerful political issue—with rippling effects come 2020. Movies 5 Comics to Read Before You See Deadpool 2 By Graeme McMillan Want to know what’s up with Josh Brolin’s character Cable? Here’s your primer. Exclusive Fed Up With Apple’s Policies, App Developers Form a ‘Union’ By Lauren Goode A group identifying itself as The Developers Union worries its members cannot earn a living by writing software built on Apple’s existing values. WIRED Opinion Congress’ Latest Move to Extend Copyright Is Misguided By Lawrence Lessig Opinion: Law professor and copyright expert Lawrence Lessig argues that Congress is once again selling the public domain to the special interests. [] Product Review LG’s G7 ThinQ Can’t Think For Itself, And That’s OK By Jeffrey Van Camp LG’s G7 ThinQ may lack inspiration and killer new features, but it’s still a top Android phone. [advertisement]( [Powered by LiveIntent]( [AdChoices]( [WIRED Magazine]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Youtube]( [Instagram]( This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, [wired@newsletters.wired.com]( to your address book. View our [Privacy Policy]( [Unsubscribe]( Copyright © Condé Nast 2018. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.