World Peach

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the app work without an internet connection?

Yes. World Peach is offline-first. The survival guidebook (10 chapters, 22 sections), preparedness checklist (56 items), evacuation plan, family members, meeting points, shelter timer, peer-to-peer chat with nearby devices, and last cached radiation data are all stored on or available from your device without connectivity.

Where does the radiation data come from?

All radiation data is sourced from EPA RadNet, the US government's nationwide fixed-air monitoring network — 140 stations across all 50 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. Stations with exposure-rate detectors report dose equivalent in µSv/h. Gamma-only stations report gross CPM; EPA states there is no direct conversion between count rate and dose rate.

Are the government alerts US-only?

Yes. Alerts are sourced from NOAA/NWS and FEMA IPAWS, which cover the United States. This is indicated in the app UI.

Is the survival guidebook fact-checked?

Every factual claim in the guidebook has been individually verified against authoritative government and scientific sources including FEMA, CDC, FDA, IAEA, ICRP, and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's NWSS. Specific corrections were applied during fact-checking (e.g., fallout arrival time updated to "10 minutes or more" per Ready.gov Jan 2025).

What devices are supported?

iPhone and iPad running iOS 17 or later.

How do I report a bug or request a feature?

Email us at zhao.zic@northeastern.edu with your device model, iOS version, and a description of the issue or suggestion.

What is peer-to-peer chat and is it secure?

Peer-to-peer chat uses Bluetooth and Wi‑Fi (MultipeerConnectivity) to discover nearby devices and run a local chat when the internet is down. Single session, up to 8 devices; single-hop only (no multi-hop relaying). There is no central server; messages stay between nearby devices. Sender identity is not verified — the app tells you to treat all messages as unverified and confirm critical information in person. You can report inappropriate messages.

Does the app collect my personal data?

All data — your checklist, evacuation plan, family members, meeting points — is stored locally on your device. Peer-to-peer chat is local-only (single session, up to 8 devices, single-hop; no central server); messages go only between nearby devices. The app does not transmit personal information to any server.

Mission

World Peach is built for one metric: keeping people alive. It gives ordinary people the knowledge, tools, and plans they need before and during a nuclear crisis. Every feature is optimized for readability under stress, use in low-light environments, and operation with little or no connectivity. The app functions as a complete offline-first survival platform: when cell towers and power fail, the guidebook, checklist, shelter timer, evacuation routes, peer-to-peer chat with nearby users, and your saved plans remain available on device. No server lock-in, no false reassurance — just actionable information you can trust.

Core Features

• 1. Mesh (first tab) — Alerts Home & Offline Peer-to-Peer Chat

  Hero "WORLD PEACH" and mascot: confident figure with peace symbol and peach in a warm terminal-inspired hero panel — calm, hopeful tone. Mesh-first home hierarchy: offline peer-to-peer chat is promoted near the top, directly under the hero. Government alerts (US only): live NOAA/NWS and FEMA IPAWS by GPS location, auto-refresh every 30s. Peer-to-peer chat: Start mesh to discover nearby devices over Bluetooth and Wi‑Fi (MultipeerConnectivity; single session, up to 8 devices, single-hop—no multi-hop relaying). Home screen explains inline: tap Start mesh, allow Local Network if prompted, keep both devices in the foreground. When active, Mesh hero shows peer count and links to Mesh Chat. Sender identity not verified; UI: "Treat all messages as unverified; confirm critical info in person." Mesh Chat UX: multiline composer (expands up to 5 lines), inline send control, automatic scroll maintenance, compact header while typing so recent chat stays visible with keyboard open. Report option for inappropriate messages. Quick access to Family Coordination (Settings in nav bar). Doomsday Clock collapsible below; symbolic annual assessment, collapsed by default.

• 2. Prepare — Survival Readiness Checklist

  Survival Readiness Meter with tiers (UNPREPARED → MAXIMUM READINESS). 9 categories, 56 items from FEMA Ready.gov, NWSS, Red Cross, FDA. Priority, quantity, notes, expiration tracking. One-tap PDF export of full checklist plus evacuation plan summary.

• 3. Radiation — Monitoring & Science

  Map with all 140 EPA RadNet stations (color-coded: gray/blue for data state, green/amber/red for dose severity). Dose-equivalent and gamma-only station types clearly distinguished. 7-10 Rule decay chart, dose limits, unit conversions, and CDC health-effects reference. Auto-refresh every 5 minutes.

• 4. Evacuate — Evacuation Planning

  Interactive map with shelter pins, long-press to add shelters, reverse/forward geocoding, protection factor (1–1,000×). Walking-first directions with route polyline, distance, travel time, and "Open in Apple Maps" for turn-by-turn navigation. Offline fallback messaging.

• 5. Survive — Survival Guidebook

  10 chapters, 22 sections, fully offline, fact-checked against government and scientific sources. Every claim source-cited. Full-text search and bookmarks. Covers first minutes, shelter-in-place, radiation safety, water, food, medical emergencies, communication, long-term recovery, and family reunification.

• 6. Shelter-in-Place Timer

  24h / 48h / 72h countdown with progress ring. FEMA 2022 phases: CRITICAL (0–2h), DANGER (2–24h), CAUTION (24–48h), MONITOR (48h+). 7-10 Rule radiation decay estimate and haptic feedback on completion.

• 7. Family Coordination (from Mesh tab → Quick Access)

  Add family members with status tracking (Safe / In Transit / At Shelter / Unknown / Needs Help). Reunion meeting points with landmarks. Print a wallet-sized emergency card — the reliable backup when phones and cell towers fail.

• 8. Settings

  Profile (household size), offline data info, tappable sources & attribution with URLs (open in Safari), legal disclaimer.

Design — "World Peach"

Aesthetic — Retro-futuristic warmth rather than pure tactical severity. The app keeps the preparedness tone but the visual system is anchored around World Peach: calm, memorable, dark-mode-first, and emotionally distinct from generic bunker-themed utilities.

Colors — Warm near-black background; Primary Peach for hero accents and CTAs; Soft Peach and Blush Cream for gradients and highlights; Warm Coral for destructive/critical states; Soft Sage for connected/safe states; warm information blue for secondary data.

Typography — SF Pro Display (heavy) for hero and section emphasis; SF Mono for operational readouts, counters, and timestamps; SF Pro Text for body. Stronger hierarchy, calmer density, easier scanning under stress.

Layout — Branding first, highest-value action second, supporting information third. Mesh Chat is promoted near the top of the home screen; tab bar uses the World Peach accent; shared cards, buttons, and section headers use the same system tokens.

Motion — Subtle, purposeful. Spring animations explain state change: hero reveal, alert card expansion, compact typing mode in Mesh Chat, button feedback. Reduce Motion is respected where applicable.

Interaction philosophy — Familiar patterns win under stress. The app prefers natural iOS conventions and well-known consumer interaction models, especially in messaging, so users don't need to learn a custom control language during a crisis.

Data & Credibility

Alerts: NOAA NWS and FEMA IPAWS (US only). Peer-to-peer chat: local-only (MultipeerConnectivity over Bluetooth and Wi‑Fi). Single session, up to 8 nearby devices; single-hop only (no multi-hop routing). No central server; messages stay between nearby devices; sender identity not verified — UI warns users to confirm critical info in person. Radiation: EPA RadNet (140 stations, all 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico). Guidebook & checklist: FEMA Ready.gov (Jan 2025), FEMA Nuclear Detonation Planning Guidance 3rd Ed. (May 2022), CDC, FDA, NWSS, IAEA GSR Part 7, SAMHSA, Glasstone & Dolan, REMM, Red Cross, Princeton SGS, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, ARRL. Dose limits: ICRP 103, IAEA BSS, UNSCEAR, CDC. All key claims cited with specific document names in-app.

Offline-First

Always available offline: guidebook, checklist, evacuation plan, shelter locations with cached routes, family members, meeting points, printed emergency card, shelter timer, peer-to-peer chat with nearby devices, and last cached radiation/alert data. Seeded on first launch: 9 categories with 56 checklist items, 10 chapters with 22 sections, and 140 EPA RadNet station locations. When online: alerts and radiation refresh and are stored locally with timestamps. Peer-to-peer chat works offline only (no server).