From: www.dw.de/laquila-sentence-science-on-trial/a-16326004
On Monday, a little over a year after the trial began, presiding judge Marco Billi took just over four hours to deliver a sentence condemning the seven men to six years in prison, the interdiction to hold any future public office and the payment of extensive damages to the victims of the earthquake and their families.
The seven were found guilty of multiple manslaughter, after having been accused of giving "falsely reassuring messages" to the population prior to the quake in April. Witnesses in the trial claimed that their relatives chose not to leave their houses before the quake struck because they were reassured by the committee that a bigger quake was unlikely, although not impossible.
One of the scientists, Enzo Boschi, a seismologist and formerly director of the Italian National Institute for Geophysics and Vulcanology, said that he was still "confused as to what exactly he'd been condemned of"; speaking to the Italian national newspaper, Corriere Della Sera, he added that he "has always maintained that earthquakes are impossible to predict," and that seismologists were targeted because they were "the weakest link in the chain of command."
23 Comments
littledragon_79I guess convicting scientists is easier than building earthquake resistant structures...especially when you live on a fault line.
Boise_Lib*promote
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SagemindSo to be on the safe side they should cry wolf every time they get any sort of blip?
Does this mean if someone gets hit by lightning when it was only supposed to be a light rain, the Meteorologists better get a lawyer?
The only question I have would be, "Were they incompetent?" Because, if not, then you can't blame them - they can only read the data and make educated guesses based on the data. I don't think anyone has ever successfully predicted the size of an earthquake before it has happened.
This sounds more like a witch-hunt and scapegoat scenario.
hpqpWhen I read of this in the newspaper this morning I was thoroughly disgusted. It reminds me of the Bulgarian nurses affair in Libya: have a problem that reflects poorly on the government? Blame some random specialists of the relevant field, ya basta, the plebeians have a false sense of justice rendered for their veritable loss, and the government gets off scot-free.
I hope this goes straight to the European High Court in appeal, and the sentences repealed.
Yogi"Let's burn down the observatory so this will never happen again!!!"
PalmliXsays...Please tell me this is an Onion piece... please...
littledragon_79I read this morning that the prosecution sought 4 year terms, but the judge upped it. Dunno if monetary awards were the prosecution's idea or the judge's.
This just seems like butthurt people looking to feel better by condemning others. I'm not saying what happened wasn't a terrible tragedy, but was it their fault? If they had said everyone head for the hills would people have been killed in a mad rush to escape? And some reports make it sound like 65k people being homeless was the scientists' fault too.
Lots of people saying they hope this makes things better in the future...how exactly? Shouldn't they be working WITH these scientists instead of banishing them? Maybe move away from earthquaketonshireville? Or...use SCIENCE to make buildings more resistant to earthquakes.
Jinxsays...They knew they were building houses on a fault line. I'd consider that adequate warning.
gwiz665*wtf?
Well, then if we're going by that, then priests didn't pray enough to make God spare those poor idiots living on the fault line...
siftbotAdding video to channels (Wtf) - requested by gwiz665.
aimpointsays...Galileo is turning in his grave...
EMPIREsays...This is just terrible, and another hint at how science-ignorant most people are. The people who died never heard of aftershocks?
aimpointsays...The background on wikipedia about it shows that a younger upcoming technician "predicted" the earthquakes using the less reliable radon measuring methods then went on TV to warn everyone. The old guard of the system called him an alarmist and put a gag order on him. Seems that this might have had an effect on people after the fact. Also seems like a script for a bad sci-fi movie.
Oh and because its Italy, the mafia is somehow involved.
Yogi>> ^aimpoint:
The background on wikipedia about it shows that a younger upcoming technician "predicted" the earthquakes using the less reliable radon measuring methods then went on TV to warn everyone. The old guard of the system called him an alarmist and put a gag order on him. Seems that this might have had an effect on people after the fact. Also seems like a script for a bad sci-fi movie.
Oh and because its Italy, the mafia is somehow involved.
I so rarely get any news about Italy but everything lately has been terrible. Let's take a look.
Amanda Knox trial: Good job idiots, don't need evidence just put everyone in jail.
Silvio Berlusconi: you brought that shit on yourself.
Ignoring the bodies of drowned teenage girls cause they're gypsies: Wow that takes the mother fucking cake, bunch of sad assholes, Italy should be blown the fuck up.
And now this. Everything I hear about Italy is fucking pathetic, and I'm mad about it. I'll protest my country later, we need to stop Italy now!
GeeSussFreeKThis shouldn't be surprising really, when experts were called in to talk about how fukushima wasn't going to cause the death of all humans, they wouldn't air them without some loony talking about how it was a mass extinction event.
We live at a time when emotions and feelings count more than truth,
and there is a vast ignorance of science.
James Lovelock
Perhaps it will end sometime in the future, I don't see when, why or how though.
honkeytonk73If they want to assign blame, they can convict their god first and not scientists. fucking idiots. The weather man is next.
Yogi>> ^GeeSussFreeK:
This shouldn't be surprising really, when experts were called in to talk about how fukushima wasn't going to cause the death of all humans, they wouldn't air them without some loony talking about how it was a mass extinction event.
We live at a time when emotions and feelings count more than truth,
and there is a vast ignorance of science.
James Lovelock
Perhaps it will end sometime in the future, I don't see when, why or how though.
You put a quote in without quotes. You are bad at posting and you should go to jail!
entr0pyI've only read the title so far, but these scientists and their earthquake machines need to be stopped. Nice work Italy.
GeeSussFreeK>> ^Yogi:
>> ^GeeSussFreeK:
This shouldn't be surprising really, when experts were called in to talk about how fukushima wasn't going to cause the death of all humans, they wouldn't air them without some loony talking about how it was a mass extinction event.
We live at a time when emotions and feelings count more than truth,
and there is a vast ignorance of science.
James Lovelock
Perhaps it will end sometime in the future, I don't see when, why or how though.
You put a quote in without quotes. You are bad at posting and you should go to jail!
"Ill just quote myself next time, kind of like a double quote to make up for it" -GeeSussFreeK
L0ckyjokingly says...I wonder which of the four applications they've received to fulfill their now vacant positions will lead the department.
Thor the Warrior, Merlin the Wizard, Thyra the Valkyrie, or Questor the Elf?
poolcleanerAt the end I swear she says, "I'm insulted, thanks for watching." I know she's saying her name ("Ann Salter"), but I keep hearing I'M INSULTED THANKS FOR WATCHING
bmacs27says...To me there is a crime here. Why are they on the "national commission for the forecast and prevention of major risks" when they knew full well they can't predict earthquakes? It seems to me they shouldn't be getting a check from the government to do something that can't be done. It would be fine if they were just geologists or whatever, but these guys were stupid enough to take on the responsibility of providing warning when they couldn't. I mean, it's still ridiculous, and I think the bigger issue is that this kid "predicted" it. Maybe they should look at those radon measures again? Are they really less reliable?
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