Six years for not predicting an earthquake...

[c7xlg]

hmmmm.

Now IF the scientists did say:
'there will be NO big earthquake tonight/in next 2 weeks'
or
'it is very unlikely there will be a big earthquake tonight/in next weeks'

then they were silly, and should loose their jobs, but manslaughter???

However if they said:
'we can't predict if there will be a big earthquake tonight/in next 2 weeks'
then they were doing their jobs.

The meaning of any statements they made could well get lost in translation from Italian to English so as none Italian speaker I'll never really know. But either way, scientists, or any experts, being found guilty of man-slaughter for failing to accuratly predict a natural event (aka 'act of god') sets a very bad precedent for how justice is seen to operate.

[Serendipity72]

Berlusconi proved to the world that Italian politicians are clowns.
Now this incident has proved that their judiciary are also clowns.

And still there are idiots who want a closer European integration. To have a federal state with this sort of stupidity forced on us here.

UKIP may have many silly policies, but their basic premise is correct.

[AJS-]

I'm equally ignorant of the nature of the original statement in Italian but that's how I read the translation of the prosecutions argument. It's still silly because it's common knowledge that there isn't really any accurate way of predicting earth quakes, but if a government body specifically and positively rules a quake out, then some people are bound to believe it.

I agree that manslaughter is a ridiculous charge even in those circumstances though. My guess is it's an emotive and politically driven judgement that will be quietly dropped on appeal.

[OdramaSwimLaden]

So from now on Italy will be on a permanant earthquake warning; bloody stupid cretinous idiots.

State official: Is there any chance of an earthquake?
Scientist: Yes, it is likely!!!! Can't say for sure though; likely!!
State official: Warn everyone and evacuate.

[MartG]

MK Ultra said:

WTF was my first reaction.

So now am expecting the bankers to get sent down too right? After all they fked the whole economy up!

And what about all the promises the politicians make and then break

[crofty1984]

PJ S said:

At what moment in time did the human race become so fking stupid?

Worth repeating.

[TheTurbonator]

On Radio 2 this afternoon on the Jeremy Vine show, someone emailed saying that they thought it was great they had been prosecuted, as it's about time Scientists were held accountable for their actions, just like people in the medical practice are. The expression "made my piss boil" doesn't even come close.

[smegmore]

Digga said:

In other news, Italy has announced that, following the global financial crisis it really has had enough of modern culture and society and is going back to the middle ages.

They never left the middle ages

[crmcatee]

I heard on the radio this morning that there's currently a backlash between the scientific advisors and the government because of this incident.

The advisors are all refusing to provide information to the government just in case it happens to them also.

[London424]

crmcatee said:

I heard on the radio this morning that there's currently a backlash between the scientific advisors and the government because of this incident.

The advisors are all refusing to provide information to the government just in case it happens to them also.

I don't blame them! If I was a weatherman I'd be taking the piss with this too.

"Today might be sunny, rainy, cloudy, windy, it might even snow so be careful out there everyone!"