Is science the answer to everything? People across Japan had just welcomed a new year. But their hopes for 2024 were quickly shattered by a huge earthquake.
Ninety seconds that shattered new year dreams
Devastating quake: 1,000 rescuers have been searching for people buried under the ruins. Glossary
Earthquake - The shaking of the surface of the Earth after a sudden burst of energy at a tectonic plate boundary.
Japan - An island country in East Asia, with a population of nearly 126 million.
Pacific Ocean - The Pacific Ocean is the biggest ocean of the world and covers more than 30% of the Earth's surface.
Tectonic plates - Pieces of the Earth’s crust and uppermost mantle. They are roughly 100km thick and are moving slowly.
Tsunami - A Japanese word describing a succession of waves caused when an earthquake or volcano displaces a large body of water.