Scientists jailed for not predicting earthquake

Depends if they stated that there was nothing to worry about, such a statement from a perceived expert could as is mentioned in the article stop people taking reasonable precautions. Better to say we don't know.
 
Italians love scapegoats to be fair. Doubt this would happen in most western democracies.
 
There was that astronomer (can't remember his name) who said that "several Earths revolve around us". What he meant really was planets, but he was kinda right though from his observations. No one believed him and he got burnt at the stake. Only later it was realised that he was right.

That was several centuries ago, but we're still sentencing scientists to prison in year 2012? :( Oh I forgot yeah, this is the same planet where people get sentenced for burning a page from a religious book.
 
Jokester said:
Depends if they stated that there was nothing to worry about, such a statement from a perceived expert could as is mentioned in the article stop people taking reasonable precautions. Better to say we don't know.
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They gave their opinion based on the information they had at hand, they didn't just disregard the information and say it for a laugh.
 
And what exactly does "a falsely reassuring statement" mean? By my understanding, all they said was "there probably won't be an earthquake", NOT "there definitely won't be an earthquake". They said nothing that was untrue at the time.

Also, this sets a somewhat scary precedent. If scientists can be prosecuted for making incorrect predictions, then it's likely they'll largely stop making predictions. So even if geology does progress to the point where seismic movements can be predicted with 99% accuracy, no scientist will ever put the strength of their own name behind such a result for that 1% chance of going to the clink. That could well end up causing far more harm than good.

Also, weather forecasters? Your days are numbered!
 
Next thing now will be businesses suing them for loss of custom when they tell everyone to evacuate and there isn't an earthquake simply because they're afraid of the opposite happening.

Think I heard someone over here on the radio talking about suing Met Éireann for predicting heavy rainfall for a weekend resulting in a low attendance at something or other. They'll have to start sticking disclaimers at the end of all these predictions much like the rapidly read disclaimers at the end of bank adverts.
 
Seismologists the World over have been shaken to the core with this news. It's completely off the scale, the Judge must have thrown a right wobbly.
 
When I went to Italy, I swore I saw lava coming out from a volcano. It was on the train from Pisa to Naples in the evening. We exited a tunnel and suddenly it became really smoky. There was a lot of fire in the distance and it smelt really chemically, I couldn't put my finger on it. Then down the side of a hill I saw a bright orange line, vicious orange it was, lighting up the night sky! It then twigged that the smell was sulphur :eek:

Of course, nobody believes me because it's never been printed anywhere.

Therefore the scientists should stay in jail until they learn to back me up.
 
Scientific evidence did not, for sure, point toward a catastrophe. Scientists jailed.

Whistleblowers and evidence pointed toward a catastrophe. Financial regulators continue to run amok.

Seems legit :rolleyes:
 
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