Hi Gents,

I will assume that Sieh is a seismologist when I ask these questions.

As he is a credential scientist I presume it is ok for him to go abroad and contact governmental officials and advise them he thinks the big one is on the way, without being licensed by any particular form of governmental body in the area?

Of course we know the earthquake occurred, but if it had not, would the science community see him with different eyes?

I wonder what made him feel so sure it was going to happen now, rather than a year from now? Are there instruments in the area which gave him a clue? Did he possibly have a dream or a vision of things to come? Believe me, no one is that motivated regarding events without something urging you with all of your being to do what he did. There is a catalyst in this motion.

Suppose one had approached this situation differently and asked our government to place tsunami monitoring equipment over there because someone thought a devastating earthquake was going to occur and it would cost us a lot less before than after. Do you think they might have given $1,000,000 instead of $350,000,000? And would our government believe it was going to happen?

The interesting part about the development of circumstances is that some people thought for various reasons something was going to happen and despite this, the situation could not be changed. So was it a "meant to happen event?" One's cosmic destiny? Was it the prunning effect which was not to be altered? I think so.

Petra