The earthquake was the worst to strike the Sichuan area in over 30 years. Following the quake, experts and the general public sought information on whether or not the earthquake could have been predicted in advance, and whether or not studying statistics related to the quake could result in better prediction of earthquakes in the future. Earthquake prediction is not yet established science; there was no consensus within the scientific community that earthquake "prediction" is possible. COUNT 5
QSN1 How long had it been since an earthquake of similar magnitude? ANS1 over 30 years QSN2 How long since the Sichuan area has had  a severe quake? ANS2 30 years QSN3 Does the scientific community agree that earthquake prediction is possible? ANS3 no consensus QSN4 People wanted to know if the study of what math could produce better predictions? ANS4 statistics QSN5 What is not an established science? ANS5 Earthquake prediction