Italian seismologists face manslaughter charges for not being psychic.

Italian seismologists charged with manslaughter for not preventing the deaths of 300 people in the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake.

What's Italian for facepalm?

Okay, I'm a dum-dum... what's the logical fallacy at work, here?

Just to be clear here, while you can't predict the moment an earthquake will occur, you can project the foreseeable likelihood of one occurring of a given magnitude given the foresight of a fault's location and it's historical activity along with the likely damage given the underlying geology within a populated area. That being said, it's ridiculous to convict a seismologist for not knowing that one was about to happen. If anyone should be charged, it should be the policy makers who haven't recognized the potential threats of earthquakes and in failing to implement building safety standards.

I am a major nature-nerd and have watched a ton of NatGeo and Discovery shows about earthquakes and seismic activity. From what I understand, the most seismologists can do right now is get a basic idea of when a quake MIGHT happen and where it MIGHT hit the hardest. Because of the way the crust shifts, you can guess when one of the plates might "snap-back", but maybe the pressure will hold for months or even years longer than you expect it to. Or maybe it looks like there is no activity, but it's ready to snap at any moment.

I think it is totally ridiculous to try to convict a scientist because he couldn't accurate predict a force of nature. It we could all predict nature, there would be no more human lives taken by natural disasters at all.

Does that mean the southern US is going to start dragging meteorologists behind pickup trucks for not saving tornado victims?

And if they do make a correct prediction then we burn them as witches!!!!

Don't give them any ideas.

A saner response would be to approve grants to fund seismologists studying better ways to predict earthquakes.

+1

Scapegoats! It is God's fault, but you can's sue her.

Perhaps the Pope should have warned people though....

Update: All seven defendants convicted on manslaughter charges.

Italian judge Marco Billi sentenced six seismologists, volcanologists and geophysicists and one public safety official to 6 years each, two more years than prosecutors had requested. The sentences will not take effect until appeals are exhausted, and many expect the verdict to be overturned, but it is by no means certain.

This is like something out of a Fellini movie.

To Representative Todd Akin, Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney, and other U.S. lawmakers who think like him: Your move. Can you top this?

Don't give them any ideas.

If I may jack the thread for a moment, I keep meaning to see some of Fellini's work, and an old co-worker of mine (who I credit with getting me into Kurosawa, stuff available through Criterion, etc.) gave me a list of his movies I had to watch in order. Damned if I remember, though.

To be on topic, this is simply fucked up. I'm with BDeyeD on this one.

I just watched Satyricon. That movie was a trip and a half. If you watch 8 1/2, watch Allen's Stardust Memories also if you can.

Getting back to the thread, I hope they get out of this nonsense on appeals.

Further update:
Italy's top government scientists resign in protest. More resignations likely.

If this continues, Italy may soon have no public safety scientists left at all.

Exactly! Who wants to be a scientists when you're going to get thrown in jail for doing exactly what you were trained for?