Six Scientists jailed for false Earthquake prediction

This is f*cking ridiculous. What kind of precedent does it set?? Anyone with half a scientific brain knows that it's impossible to predict 100% when and where an Earthquake will strike, and how powerful it will be. A sad, sad day for science. And for common sense for that matter.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/9626075/LAquila-earthquake-scientists-sentenced-to-six-years-in-jail.html

Hardly likely to encourage any Italian kiddies to become geologist/earthquake experts.

They're just looking for some human being to be made responsible for a tragedy caused by mother nature, to make them feel like some sort of justice has been done. Perhaps after this court case, when no scientist is willing to put their hand up anymore and warn of the possibility of an Earthquake, the families of the victims will try and press charges against Mother Nature herself?

Yeah, she's a heinous bitch, MoNat. Look at how she's melting the ice caps.

I'm pretty sure I remember that idiot Berlusconi demanding that the scientists involved be punished. Hard to believe that Italy is a first world country sometimes.

I've heard of arrests causing rumblings.

Joke of a country. Then again, what can we expect of one that allowed Berlusconi to lead govt for so long?

Unbelievable. Like the religious loonies and naturalist nutters need any more ammunition.

How do you say Scapegoat in Italian?

More to the point, how do you say "The Western World's biggest joke of a justice system" in Italian?

Jaysus, the Parrott only had to go to Fact Checking 101 classes for doing a similar thing.

Big Dog wrote:How do you say Scapegoat in Italian?

Qunt?

Big Dog wrote:How do you say Scapegoat in Italian?

scapeghetti

Lol at Lardy

these scientists were no great shakes

Henry wrote:They're just looking for some human being to be made responsible for a tragedy caused by mother nature, to make them feel like some sort of justice has been done. Perhaps after this court case, when no scientist is willing to put their hand up anymore and warn of the possibility of an Earthquake, the families of the victims will try and press charges against Mother Nature herself?

Every scientist now will say there will definitely be an earthquake even if there is no chance of one, to cover themselves. And when, every time, there is no earthquake and millions of people are evacuated, perhaps they will realise how stupid this is. Or, they could charge the scientists again, for raising false fears. Either way, they can't win.

As you said, a dangerous precedent. Why don't they put god on trial instead, for negligence?

It would be naïve to think that this would not or could not happen here. A lot of people think scientists are full of shit and make things up just for funding, and that someone is to blame for everything.

'Celestial lawyer' my auntie's hairy bollocks.

Six years in chokey for getting a prediction wrong? In Tasmania serial violent recidivists don't get that long. (yes, our judiciary is a joke also)

"violet recidivists" - are they illegal flower trimmers?

Thank Fark, Trev isn't doing the predictions.

skully wrote:Hardly likely to encourage any Italian kiddies to become geologist/earthquake experts.

They can truly say it was not their fault ...

Why would any children want to become any type of scientist at all? Anyone who writes a paper that subsequently turns out to be incorrect could now face jail if it has caused harm to others.

Of course, journalists interpreting scientific papers and writing stories on them directly results in suffering and death, but they never have to carry any blame for that, and no one seems to give a shit. In fact people believe hacks over anyone else.

Pity we don't have similar laws in Aus. That arseclown Tim Flannery might've been chucked in gaol for this "prediction" (among a number of similar ones about low rainfall and dams not filling):

2007 - Brisbane would never again have dam-filling rains, as global warming had caused “a 20 per cent decrease in rainfall in some areas” and made the soil too hot, “so even the rain that falls isn’t actually going to fill our dams and river systems … “.

Hmm, 3 years later Brisbane had its worse flood in 50 years, with Wivenhoe spilling causing widespread devastation. What a farkin pinko roob. All the flood victims should sue the qunt.