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Google Executive Dan Fredinburg Among Victims of Everest Avalanche
alphadogg writes: Dan Fredinburg, privacy director for the company's Google X team, and an engineer who worked on many of Google's most exciting projects during his 8 years with the company, died over the weekend in an avalanche on Mount Everest. The 33-year-old worked on projects such as Google Loon, the company's balloon-based Internet access effort and self-driving car. He also was involved in Google Street View Everest, leading expeditions to gather imagery of the Khumbu region around Mt. Everest. Fredinburg's career began in a much less glamorous fashion as a "dock rat" and as a farm hand in Arkansas.
That's too bad. Why is this on slashdot?
Google is a company that does a few things with internet technology. Here's their website if you're interested in checking them out: http://www.google.com
The death count is currently at 17 with approximately 30 injured.
The earthquake's death toll is currently over 2500.
Source: CNN, BBC, and Red cross.
Those people matter just as much as some rich guy climbing Everest who the earthquake killed via avalanche.
So that annoying pedants like me have an excuse to point out that Everest is not the tallest mountain in the world (merely the highest)
Actually, it is neither. The tallest, measured from its base to its summit, is Mauna Kea. The highest, when measured from the center of the earth, is Chimborazo in Ecuador. Everest is just the highest above sea level.
Previous earthquakes in the region have changed the height of Everest, usually by pushing it up even higher. I have not heard about any effect on its height from this quake. Does anyone know?