Out in the Bay Area, we’re pretty sure we can use technology and design to outsmart just about anything. But can we outsmart earthquakes? That, it seems, is the bet we’re making in San Francisco where our skyline is increasingly filled with massive skyscrapers that we never would have considered building just a couple decades ago. Have we really learned that much? It’s a question I ask myself every time I drive to my office. It’s also a question the NYT investigated. And their investigation isn’t making me feel much better: “Experts are sending this message: The building code does not protect cities from earthquakes nearly as much as you might think.” San Francisco’s Big Seismic Gamble.