Earthquakes: What We Know Today and What We Should Do to Minimize Their Impacts

The recent tragic earthquakes in Turkey, Taiwan and India are still fresh in our memory. An often-asked question is: Can we predict an earthquake with sufficient accuracy to allow citizens to prepare for it? Unfortunately, the answer is no at present. Then the questions become What do seismologists know about earthquakes? What are seismologists and engineers doing to minimize the impact of earthquakes? And What should citizens know about earthquakes and what should they do to prepare for them?