How Tweets Can Save Lives

Meier's open-source software is constantly evolving as it is applied in different contexts. For example, it was used to create maps showing population displacement during the humanitarian crisis in Libya. Natural disasters and political unrest trigger torrents of tweets and posts--chaotic snippets of what could be valuable information. Patrick Meier, director of social innovation at the Qatar Computing Research Institute, applies artificial intelligence to this crowdsourced data, organizing digital photos and messages into dynamic maps that can guide real-world relief efforts. Popular Science:__ You work in crisis mapping--what is that exactly?