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When Disaster Strikes, He Creates A 'Crisis Map' That Helps Save Lives

Patrick Meier (center, in cap) flies a drone in Nepal after the earthquake in 2015. Meier and his team were able to to capture detailed images of damage around the capital, Kathmandu. He believes using this technology will make crisis mapping even more effective for disaster response. Courtesy of Patrick Meier/WeRobotics hide caption

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Courtesy of Patrick Meier/WeRobotics

Parallels

When Disaster Strikes, He Creates A 'Crisis Map' That Helps Save Lives

"You can't protect what you can't map," says Patrick Meier. He pioneered the field of crisis mapping during the 2010 Haiti earthquake, and now focuses on the use of robotics for humanitarian purposes.

When Disaster Strikes, He Creates A 'Crisis Map' That Helps Save Lives

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Listen: Sir Harry Kroto Was More Than A Nobel Prize Winner

Sir Harold W. Kroto, a winner of the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, gave a lecture on nanoarchitecture in May 2007, in Brussels. "Find something to do where only your best effort will satisfy you," he advised students. Sebastien Pirlet/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Sebastien Pirlet/AFP/Getty Images

Joe's Big Idea

Listen: Sir Harry Kroto Was More Than A Nobel Prize Winner

He shared chemistry's top prize in 1996 for finding buckyballs, and had Lou Gehrig's disease when he died. Making art was his first love. "Remember your humanity," he said, "and forget the rest."

Listen: Sir Harry Kroto Was More Than A Nobel Prize Winner

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This Syrian Dad Has One Of The World's Most Dangerous Jobs

"I never imagined I would be in this position, doing this kind of work," says Raed Al Saleh, 33, of his job as the head of the Syrian Civil Defense. "But these are the circumstances." Courtesy of The Syria Campaign hide caption

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Courtesy of The Syria Campaign

Goats and Soda

This Syrian Dad Has One Of The World's Most Dangerous Jobs

Five years ago, Raed Al Saleh was a businessman. Now he heads the 3,000-strong Syrian Civil Defense, rescuing civilians from the rubble after airstrikes.

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