Authorities from Asia to California are working on computerized systems to warn people of large earthquakes. Japan has already installed an automated system to send warnings several seconds before people feel any shaking. A government-funded laboratory in Taiwan said it had developed equipment to sense earthquakes up to 27 seconds in advance, enough time to order evacuations and shut down mass transit. Scientists in the U.S. say networks of common laptop computers may be able to provide city-dwellers advance warning when big quakes are detected. None of the warning systems have faced the real thing yet, though.”]