New Delhi:
US podcaster Lex Fridman, who is in India ahead of his much-anticipated interview with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, experienced the 4.0 magnitude earthquake, which jolted Delhi Monday morning.
“Earthquake hit New Delhi today, right where I’m at,” he wrote on X. “Was intense. It’s a good reminder of the power of nature.”
“P.S. Travelling in India has been an amazing journey so far,” he added.
Earthquake hit New Delhi today, right where I’m at. Was intense.
It’s a good reminder of the power of nature.
PS: Traveling in India has been an amazing journey so far ❤️ pic.twitter.com/t6uRxz6fqi
— Lex Fridman (@lexfridman) February 17, 2025
According to the National Center for Seismology, the earthquake struck at a depth of 5 km, with its epicentre near Dhaula Kuan, close to Durgabai Deshmukh College of Special Education. Tremors were felt across Noida, Ghaziabad, and parts of North India, prompting evacuations in high-rise buildings.
Delhi falls under Seismic Zone IV, making it prone to moderate to strong earthquakes due to its proximity to active fault lines.
Lex Fridman, a researcher in AI and deep learning, launched his podcast in 2018, originally titled ‘The Artificial Intelligence Podcast’, before rebranding it to ‘The Lex Fridman Podcast’ in 2020. He has interviewed several global figures, including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Donald Trump, Mark Zuckerberg and Volodymyr Zelensky. With 4.55 million subscribers on YouTube, Mr Fridman’s podcast explores topics related to science, technology, history, philosophy, and human consciousness.
Earlier, Mr Fridman said he couldn’t “wait” to interview PM Modi, calling him “one of the most fascinating human beings” he has studied. He revealed plans to speak with the Indian leader for several hours on topics ranging from India’s history to his philosophies.
Fascinated by the concept of fasting, Mr Fridman also announced that he would undertake a 48-72 hour fast before the interview. He described fasting as a way to “meditate” and “reflect on how incredibly lucky” he is to be alive and experience the world.
His interview with PM Modi, scheduled for the end of February, is expected to be a deep dive into India’s leadership, culture, and the prime minister’s personal journey.
