Fiber optic cables can also detect earth quakes

Seismographs are highly sensitive devices, and they do a good job of registering earthquakes at specific locations. But fiber optic cables — the data lines that delivered these words — can do much, much better.

So how does it work?

"When producing the glass fibers, non-homogeneities remain in the cable," said geophysicist Charlotte Krawczyk, who was involved in the work. "We take advantage of these disturbances, because light is reflected at these points when we send a laser pulse."