Earthquake and NASA

Yesterday , I had to rush my father to hospital in an emergency. As his ECG was being done, I heard the doctor-on-duty telling one of the staff that a more severe earthquake of the magnitude of 8.2 was about to come at 08:06  pm. The other person asked the source of the information. She flaunted her Apple mobile to tell that the news was from none other than the NASA. The poor fellow pleaded that he may be allowed to leave in that case.

I seriously thought that they were just making fun of the rumor being spread by someone in the name of NASA. But little did I know that they were serious. It was ten minutes to eight. As I came back, to show the report, I found that the other junior doctor was calling her home and telling them to be out in open as severe earthquake was expected. I wondered how seriously we take any thing that has stamped NASA on it.

As far as I know, till today no one can predict earthquake with as much accuracy as in hours and minutes. I believe that even day-prediction is not possible. Do these  doctors who belong to a highly professional class not know this fact? Or we blindly take NASA for sure without relying on our knowledge? ISRO's Mars mission has been applauded by world over including NASA. And I am sure if this rumor was tagged with ISRO, it would have certainly been ignored by one and all. But NASA's very tag, though mischievously attached , was more than enough to eclipse our thought process.

As the clock ticked 08:10, and the earth did not shake a bit, the doctors at Casualty concluded that the message was a mischief.

The story does not end here. As I had to spend night in the ward with my father,I realized next morning that for the entire night, ward door was kept locked from inside. It was opened early morning at around  06:00. Whatever might  be the reason, but one thing was sure. Had there been a real earthquake during the night, all patients and their attendants were bound to be buried under the debris and the NASA satellite would be beaming the pictures world over. Or that was the unique way to stop earthquake from entering into the ward! Who knows?