Tech in Troubled Times: Website Crowdsources Japan Radiation Levels

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A screen grab of RDTN.org

RDTN.org

Worried about “real” radiation levels around the damaged Fukushima’s Daichii plant? Ask the people.

(More on TIME.com: See our complete Japan quake coverage)

During the nuclear crisis that hit Japan in the wake of the earthquake on March 11, there have been conflicting reports on the the level of actual radiation, both in the area immediately surrounding the nuclear plant and in other Japanese cities.

A new website aims at filling the information gap. RDTN.org, launched by a Oregon-based design firm called Uncorked Studios, collects the latest readings of radiation detection devices and shows them on a map.

The site is powered by Pachube, a software platform used for the much-touted “internet of things,” a term used to describe networks of connected devices or sensors. The map shows the location and the time of the readings, plus the amount of radiation detected. Hopefully for some reason, Geiger counters were popular, albeit pricey, gifts in Japan before the quake hit. (via Mashable)

(More on TIME.com: See how companies use crowdsourcing)