Ten-year-old's Earth Science Knowledge Saves Family

In yet another example of how what we teach and learn in science and math classes has "meaning" in the real world, comes this story of Tilly Smith:

A British girl aged ten saved 100 tourists from the tsunami — thanks to a geography lesson.
Tilly Smith, who studied the huge waves in school two weeks before Christmas, realised a Thai beach was about to be swamped when the tide shot out (The Sun).

Tilly's family, from Surrey, England, was enjoying a day at Maikhao Beach last Sunday when the sea rushed out and began to bubble.

The adults were curious, but Tilly froze in horror.

"Mummy, we must get off the beach now!" she told her mother. "I think there's going to be a tsunami."

The adults didn't understand until Tilly added the magic words: "A tidal wave."

Her warning spread like wildfire. Within seconds, the beach was deserted — and it turned out to be one of the only places along the shores of Phuket where no one was killed or seriously injured (NY Post).

What an amazing story!