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Science of Earthquakes and Whether It`s Possible to Predict Them Accurately; Window Into Life in North Korea, a Place Few Outside the Nation Get The Chance to Encounter. Aired 4-4:10a ET
Aired August 20, 2024 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
COY WIRE, CNN 10 ANCHOR: Hello, and happy Tuesday everyone. I want to start by giving a shout out to all the teachers out there, uplifting, informing,
inspiring us. Students, dap up your teacher, give a handshake or high five, let them know you appreciate them.
I`m Coy Wire. This is CNN 10. And we`re going to start today with news out of Japan. The island country in East Asia, located in the Pacific Ocean, is
worried about a once in a century mega quake. But does it need to be?
On August 8th, parts of the western Japan area felt the ground shake from a 7.1 magnitude earthquake, prompting both local and national government
agencies to react. Meteorologists quickly issued a first of its kind nationwide warning that a major earthquake could hit within the next week.
The concern was that the smaller quake could trigger a much larger one from Japan`s Nankai Trough, which is considered the nation`s most dangerous
fault.
The alert caused officials to close beaches, cancel events, slow down trains, and even stockpile supplies. In the end, most advisories were
lifted, and thankfully there was no major damage from the 7.1 magnitude quake. Still, the country remains on high alert, prepping for any potential
emergencies.
One week after the advisory, Japan lifted the warning about a potential mega quake. The event has experts questioning whether an alert system like
this is accurate or even necessary, and it has some scientists wondering when they should step in if they see clues that an earthquake may be on the
horizon.
As one seismologist in the U.S. put it, you don`t want a mass evacuation panic that`s not warranted, but you want people not to go on their merry
ways.
Japan is no stranger to strong earthquakes. It`s located in the Ring of Fire, an area known for intense seismic and volcanic activity around the
Pacific Ocean. The most devastating quake in recent Japanese history was the 9.1 magnitude Tohoku earthquake in 2011, which caused a tsunami and
killed some 20,000 people.
CNN`s Hanako Montgomery has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Why is Japan concerned about a mega quake? Japan is an earthquake-prone country, and it`s been
dreading the big one for years. But in early August, it issued its first ever mega quake advisory, meaning there`s now an increased risk of it
happening.
The big one, also known as the Nankai Trough earthquake, would hit somewhere along the southern coast and could be massive, measuring eight or
higher in magnitude. It could trigger huge tsunamis like what we saw during the March 11th disaster, causing trillions in damage and potentially
killing hundreds of thousands.
Japan advised people to stay prepared, but it didn`t suggest any evacuations and downplayed any immediate danger. Still, the Prime Minister
cancelled his trip abroad, people are stockpiling food, and some are cancelling their summer plans. It sounds alarming, but how worried should
we really be?
Government experts estimate that within the next 30 years, there`s a 70-80% chance of this mega quake happening. And even with the risk increase right
now, the chances of it happening are still under 1%. This 30-year estimate is also based on just one theory that uses past quake data and records of
seabed changes in southern Japan.
We don`t yet have the science to predict when, where, or how big an earthquake will be. But those in Japan remain prepared because an
earthquake can happen anytime, anywhere.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WIRE: Pop quiz hotshot! Which one of these nations is often referred to as a "hermit kingdom?" Switzerland, Germany, South Korea, or North Korea?
With known secrecy and willful isolation from the rest of the world, North Korea is the answer here.
Now, imagine how interesting it would be if you got a rare window into that secretive hermit kingdom of around 25 million people that sits across the
northern border of South Korea. That`s what happened when one man in Canada used his hobby of surfing satellite channels to stumble on the North Korean
state television and then shared what he is seeing on YouTube.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Using his backyard satellite dish, Peter Fairlie was just scanning for sports
channels --
PETER FAIRLIE, BROADCAST ENGINEER: Where we go? We have a signal.
RIPLEY: But the Canadian engineer from outside Toronto stumbled upon something he never expected.
FAIRLIE: And that`s when I saw the color bars the test card, and Pyongyang written on it.
That triggered my curiosity, right, was this really coming from North Korea.
RIPLEY: Sure enough, it was a live satellite feed of North Korean state television, from daily dancercise to cooking programs to patriotic
propaganda.
FAIRLIE: It`s very kind of 1980s, too. It`s very MTV their videos.
RIPLEY: Broadcasting mass games, military parades, and yes, missile launches to some 26 million people, to call Kim Jong Un secret state home.
FAIRLIE: The videos all of Kim are how great he is and everybody, you know, crying and loving him.
RIPLEY: Peter began recording.
Do you feel like these programs do have power to influence people`s minds?
FAIRLIE: Absolutely. After watching one full day of the North Korean content for two nights in a row, I just had a lot of very bizarre dreams as
if I was there.
RIPLEY: Hosting an edited version on his YouTube channel.
Did you think this was going to go viral?
FAIRLIE: No, absolutely not.
RIPLEY: Go viral, he did. Peter`s videos racking up almost 2 million views in less than two months.
FAIRLIE: People were basically giving comments that were all over the spectrum from they loved it to they were terrified by it.
RIPLEY: Peter`s pirated Pyongyang propaganda, a window into what the North Korean state wants its people to see and believe.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WIRE: Continuing with our CNN 10 Olympian series this week, I caught up with Team USA swimmer Katie Ledecky, whose work ethic, Zoom-like focus and
discipline are the stuff books could be written about. With nine Olympic golds now, 14 medals in all, she`s the most dominant female swimmer we`ve
ever seen. Let`s go inside the mind of Katie Ledecky, the most decorated female American Olympian of all time.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WIRE: What are some of the things that maybe you take for granted that you do or have done over the years that other people might find fascinating?
KATIE LEDECKY, USA SWIMMER: I think I just try really hard to be consistent each year. You know, it`s not just every four years for me. I`m competing
at world championships in between Olympics and a lot of other meets as well. So it`s not just a few races every four years. It`s a lot of -- a lot
of training, a lot of races in between these big moments.
WIRE: What`s one of the sacrifices your family made that was either quirky or just something you`re going to look back and say, wow, they really loved
me?
LEDECKY: Well, definitely a lot of early mornings. I think any swim parent or swimmer would -- would say that we have early morning practices. When I
was, you know, in middle school, high school, some of those practices would start at 4:45 in the morning.
So my parents would be up at 4:00, make me a quick breakfast, drive me to the pool, you know, definitely sacrifice some hours of sleep and just were
great sports about it all. It was never a sacrifice to them. They were just supporting me and -- and supporting my goals.
WIRE: You must be so proud. Now, Simone Biles told me she would be a honey badger in the gym, a sloth at home, though. What would your spirit animal
be to describe the aura of Katie Ledecky?
LEDECKY: I think I would have to say a porpoise because my -- my summer league swim team, we were the Palisades porpoises. So that`s my go to
answer. And obviously, I love the water, so.
WIRE: That`s pretty good. Picture me this. The year is 2052. You`ve just finished your last Olympics.
LEDECKY: Oh, come on. No, no, no, no, no.
WIRE: Coach Ledecky, would you like that? I feel like you`d be good at that.
LEDECKY: I don`t know. I -- you know, I love swimming and I think no matter what I do beyond my swimming career, I think I`ll always stay in the sport
in some capacity.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WIRE: Today`s story getting a 10 out of 10 is making some waves. Literally on the coast of Rhode Island, Anita and Dawaye Ratchford are driving a
Rolls-Royce shaped boat on the water. They`ve been together for more than 20 years. He`s a car enthusiast. She`s an ocean lover. And "schooner" than
later, they decided to bring their passions together. How "aboat" that?
They said sometimes they get some stern looks, but mostly just smiles and waves. I`ve never seen any "rudder" one like it. That reminds me of one of
my favorite tongue twisters. Say toy boat as fast as you can five times without messing up. Toy boat, toy boat, toy boat, toy boat, toy boat.
All right. Remember, tomorrow is #YourWordWednesday. So follow me @coywire on Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok. Put your unique vocabulary word and
definition in the comment section of my most recent post. And we`ll choose a winner to work in tomorrow`s show along with a shout out for you and your
school. So put that in there, too.
Our shout out today goes to Dwight D. Eisenhower Middle School in Goddard, Kansas. Rise up.
Let`s do it again tomorrow, y`all. I`m Coy Wire. And we are CNN 10.
END
