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No, that North Korean 'earthquake' didn't occur on Nuclear Test Road

No, that North Korean 'earthquake' didn't occur on Nuclear Test Road

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North Korea nuclear test road 640 google maps
North Korea nuclear test road 640 google maps

North Korea may have just concluded its third nuclear test, as several countries detected a 4.9-magnitude artificial earthquake this evening. We're not sure as of now. But if you put the earthquake's coordinates into Google Maps, you can have yourself a laugh: the earthquake occurred just north of "Nuclear Test Road."

Of course, there probably isn't any such thing as Nuclear Test Road, because in North Korea, Google doesn't get such data from any official source. The company uses crowdsourced data from its Google Map Maker community, even when that community describes landmarks with such politically loaded terms as "Gulag." Crowdsourcing is definitely a powerful technique with many uses, but it's also a good opportunity to remember to question what you read.

As of this writing, North Korea's Nuclear Test Facility currently has nine reviews on Google. One Matthew Crowley of Washington, D.C. was apparently pleased with his stay. He gave the facility an excellent review, writing: "It will blow you away!"