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-   -   Physicists convicted of manslaughter for failing to predict earthquake (http://forums.animesuki.com/showthread.php?t=115703)

NinjaRealist 2012-10-22 23:41

Physicists convicted of manslaughter for failing to predict earthquake
 
Physicists convicted of manslaughter for failing to predict earthquake


Lost amid the presidential debates, this jaw droppingly outrageous case from Italy:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20025626

Quote:

The judge also ordered the defendants to pay court costs and damages.

Reacting to the verdict against him, Bernardo De Bernardinis said: "I believe myself to be innocent before God and men."

"My life from tomorrow will change," the former vice-president of the Civil Protection Agency's technical department said, according to La Repubblica.

"But, if I am judged by all stages of the judicial process to be guilty, I will accept my responsibility."

Another, Enzo Boschi, described himself as "dejected" and "desperate" after the verdict was read.

"I thought I would have been acquitted. I still don't understand what I was convicted of."

One of the lawyers for the defence, Marcello Petrelli, described the sentences as "hasty" and "incomprehensible".
I weep for science, and for Italy.

Kotohono 2012-10-23 00:04

Just wow, I have no words to describe my disbelief over such an unreasonable ruling.

This could be a huge step back for a lot of fields of science if this sets a precedences.

Kaioshin Sama 2012-10-23 00:10

Hopefully the judge at the appeal hearing just tosses the case out completely and sets these people free. Science and research isn't about absolutes and I don't even understand how you can specifically hold someone or a specific group of people responsible for an act of nature. This case makes absolutely no sense, how was it ever even drawn up in the first place? Like how did this ever get to court is what I want to know.

sa547 2012-10-23 02:36

How preposterous; it's a throwback to the Middle Ages.

Kyuu 2012-10-23 02:38

Sheer politics.

Earthquake predictions are as accurate as weather forecasts. It's the politicians job to instill policies that make certain areas ready for earthquakes.

risingstar3110 2012-10-23 02:55

Considering how early movements could be due to a different fault line, to my understand, scientists can only accurately predict whether a large earthquake coming up to 10-15 seconds before it actually occur.

Plenty of time to provide warning to the public eh? :rolleyes: [/sarcasm ]

Kafriel 2012-10-23 03:28

Anti-seismic work is usually developed based on an area's history of tectonic activity, you don't wait for a freaking earthquake to happen before you enforce these measures. Shouldn't all countries already be aware of the potential scale of an earthquake, after researching around 3,000 years (to my knowledge) of previous events?

risingstar3110 2012-10-23 04:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kafriel (Post 4408843)
Anti-seismic work is usually developed based on an area's history of tectonic activity, you don't wait for a freaking earthquake to happen before you enforce these measures. Shouldn't all countries already be aware of the potential scale of an earthquake, after researching around 3,000 years (to my knowledge) of previous events?

The line is really thin through, i means most of politics do not care about what "can" happen exactly 50 years from now (*cough*globalwarming*cough*), so there are plenty of reasons to ignore something that may happen sometime within the next thousand year. Especially if it weight up too much economical costs/ budgets.

Learn a bit about earthquake last year, and honestly it is almost impossible to predict. hundred times worse than weather prediction

SaintessHeart 2012-10-23 05:01

Leonardo would roll over in his grave for this.

Azuma Denton 2012-10-23 05:06

Wait, if those guys able to predict earthquakes at any time, they are considered "GOD"...
This case is a joke. No one should be blamed over natural disaster...

NoemiChan 2012-10-23 05:29


SaintessHeart 2012-10-23 05:31

Well given how the italian words fisico (physicist) and psichico (psychic) sound the same verbally, the judge probably mistook one for another. :heh:

Italians are funny people. Their hand signal for "f*** you" is the hand signal for "do you want to eat?" in Indian.

kyp275 2012-10-23 06:59

Guess it's a good time to start up a pitchfork and wooden cross store in Italy, witch hunting and the Inquisition is making a comeback!

willx 2012-10-23 08:26

Er, this is a double-post. I was the one that dropped this in "Silly news stories" already :heh:

Oh, and I double-posted too, Xellos got it before I did :p

Dragonkid11 2012-10-23 08:30

These people are as worse as the Spanish Inquisition...in more than one way

Zakoo 2012-10-23 08:47

The title is misleading, they are convicted for the conference they did after the past earthquake and telling in front of countless TV channels "there's no chance there will be another big earthquake" (and even there I roughly sum up).

While their written report was that while the chance are little it would be better to increase the anti earthquake norm of building. But it seems the builder decided to follow what they said orally instead of what they wrote.

Though it's stupid as a condamnation, really, nice one Italia.

justsomeguy 2012-10-23 10:21

The builders are irrelevant, because the stated conference was only days before the earthquake hit. What people are blaming the scientists for are because they supposedly convinced people to go back to an unsafe area, resulting in their deaths. This, despite one other guy running around claiming that there definitely will be an earthquake, and giving the wrong times.

Akito Kinomoto 2012-10-23 11:12

I guess the judge doesn't realize the...

*puts on sunglasses.*

...magnitude of his decision.

NinjaRealist 2012-10-23 14:21

As expected, qualified scientists are now fleeing the italian government:

Italy disaster head Luciano Maiani quits over L'Aquila

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20039769

Quote:

The head of Italy's disaster body, Luciano Maiani, has resigned to protest against prison sentences passed on seven colleagues over the 2009 earthquake in L'Aquila.

Six scientists and an ex-official were convicted of multiple manslaughter for giving a falsely reassuring statement.

Prof Maiani, a physicist, said the Serious Risks Commission could not work "in such difficult conditions".
GG, Italy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akito Kinomoto (Post 4409191)
I guess the judge doesn't realize the...

*puts on sunglasses.*

...magnitude of his decision.

Touche, sir.

Archon_Wing 2012-10-23 15:18

The inquistion has returned?

Also, meteorologists better leave soon too.


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