Scientists on trial for not warning strongly enough
Ignorami vincet or Panem et circenses
Tuesday, September 20, 2011 by DrJBHL | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
From Italy:
"Six Italian scientists and one government official are set to go to trial today in Italy (Sept. 20) on charges of manslaughter for not warning the public aggressively enough of an impending earthquake that killed more than 300 people in 2009."
- http://www.livescience.com/16132-italian-earthquake-prediction-manslaughter-trial.html
It seems that scientists can now predict where, when and how strong earthquakes will be.
In fact, warnings were issued:
"Enzo Boschi, the then-president of Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology and now a defendant in the case, seemed to allude to this uncertainty in a March 31, 2009, meeting in L'Aquila, a medieval city in Abruzzo. Comparing the situation to a large quake that struck L'Aquila in 1703, Boschi said, "It is unlikely that an earthquake like the one in 1703 could occur in the short term, but the possibility cannot be totally excluded.
In a press conference after the meeting, however, Department of Civil Protection official Bernardo De Bernardinis, also a defendant in the case, struck a more soothing tone, saying that the situation posed "no danger" and urging residents to relax.
Less than a week later, on April 6, a 6.3-magnitude quake struck in Abruzzo. L'Aquila's medieval buildings crumbled, killing 309 people and injuring more than 1,500." - http://www.livescience.com/16132-italian-earthquake-prediction-manslaughter-trial.html
Seems ridiculous to me, in this day and age that finger pointers should be able to put scientists on trial for not having crystal balls. I can see the civil official perhaps being lax in in telling everyone there "to relax" if that is indeed true and not just another instance of people hearing what they wanted and then being angry when it didn't turn out that way.
When will people understand that some things are still beyond science and stop believing the "special effects" are real?
"Panem et circenses".
When will people stop the finger pointing and blame game and just grow up?
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Reply #23 Wednesday, September 21, 2011 12:36 PM
It certainly isn't limited to the US. Over here they're saying that we should drop the 50p tax, which only applies to those who earn £150,000 a year or more to start with. Yet nobody wants to make things easier for Joe Schlub who busts his ass day in day out, just to earn enough money to keep his head above water. In fact they seem to be doing all they can to make it harder for Joe to achieve that as time goes on. Yet they keep telling us that we're "all in this together". My pale English arse we are! 
Reply #24 Wednesday, September 21, 2011 2:42 PM
reply 19
Miss anybody???
Yup, Apple.....
You're right... Apple has to be put on trial for not warning everyone strongly enough that they invented everything and will sue if you copy it.
While we're at it, Rupert Murdoch and his son should also be prosecuted.... simply because they're still breathing. All the other bad shit they did with their media empire can be addressed when we get them for grievous and blatant misuse of air.
In fact, with regard to the majority I've listed, couldn't we just execute first and determine guilt later?... would save a whole lot of time and expense with expensive hearings and defense lawyers, etc?
Reply #25 Wednesday, September 21, 2011 3:02 PM
That sounds an awful lot like The French Revolution to me.
Plus I'm not a supporter of executing people. That doesn't make me a bleeding heart liberal, just somebody who believes there are better ways of serving justice.
Reply #26 Wednesday, September 21, 2011 3:24 PM
I hate to mention this, but Tambora is in Indonesia. Maybe you think that is part of Italy? Given your appalling geography there's no need to tell us which country you come from... 
Reply #27 Wednesday, September 21, 2011 3:36 PM
I hate to mention this, but Tambora is in Indonesia. Maybe you think that is part of Italy? Given your appalling geography there's no need to tell us which country you come from...
He didn't say it was, Fuzzy. 
Reply #28 Wednesday, September 21, 2011 5:05 PM
That's not how it reads
Reply #29 Wednesday, September 21, 2011 5:37 PM
Couldn't resist this.... sometimes one has to use fuzzy logic.
Reply #30 Wednesday, September 21, 2011 6:12 PM
DUH!!! I know that. Tambora is active again which is why I mentioned it. Tambora was the largest eruption in recent history with Krakatoa a close second but it isn't the largest in recorded history. Santorini holds that title. That's the one that ended the Minoans who had a colony on the island of Crete. That colony was wiped out by the tsunami that resulted from Santorini blowing its top. The island at that time was known as Thera. Plato took that a step further and invented Atlantis. He could a good yarn.
Reply #32 Thursday, September 22, 2011 7:33 AM
reply 24
In fact, with regard to the majority I've listed, couldn't we just execute first and determine guilt later?... would save a whole lot of time and expense with expensive hearings and defense lawyers, etc?
That sounds an awful lot like The French Revolution to me.
Plus I'm not a supporter of executing people. That doesn't make me a bleeding heart liberal, just somebody who believes there are better ways of serving justice.
Neither am I. What I said was done with tongue-in-cheek, and intended to be totally ridiculous, I suppose to highlight how ludicrous it is to put scientists on trial over an earthquake warning. It may be that I'm not overly fond of politicians and bankers, but they have families and people who love them, too, so it would be unfairly cruel to punish them for the sins of their loved ones.
Not too fond of Google execs, either.... and figure they should be castrated so they can spawn no more evil.
[yeah, like their kids are necessarily going to grow up to be Google execs and perpetrate wicked acts against humanity]
Reply #34 Thursday, September 22, 2011 10:33 AM
Yeah, that's my bad, sorry. My social skills aren't always up to snuff (if I had any to begin with 
) so I misinterpreted what you meant. Again, sorry about that, Sweetie.
[yeah, like their kids are necessarily going to grow up to be Google execs and perpetrate wicked acts against humanity]
No, they will... castrate them... castrate them now! 
Reply #35 Thursday, September 22, 2011 12:15 PM
No, not your bad.... wires sometimes can easily be crossed when on the internet, regardless of social skills. It is one thing you'll come to know about me, though, I tend to take the mickey a lot and am rarely serious when on the general/community pages... as opposed to the computer and tech pages, where I'm usually well behaved until somebody mentions Google. I don't care what anyone says, they're evil and deserve all the ridicule and snide comments I can heap upon them.
reply 32
Not too fond of Google execs, either.... and figure they should be castrated so they can spawn no more evil.
[yeah, like their kids are necessarily going to grow up to be Google execs and perpetrate wicked acts against humanity]
No, they will... castrate them... castrate them now!
Okay, so we'll have Google execs at the head of the castration queue, bankers in the middle and politicians to follow up. Or should politicians go first, then bankers and Googlites? I suppose it wouldn't matter if we had a few knife wielders and dispensed with the anaesthetic so as not to slow things down.
Reply #36 Thursday, September 22, 2011 12:47 PM
You have to be clear, precise and logical 
...otherwise I remove your gonads with surgical precision
Reply #37 Thursday, September 22, 2011 12:49 PM
and don't say "go nuts".
Reply #38 Thursday, September 22, 2011 12:50 PM
Y'see, times like this are why I think there needs to be a hug emoticon. But in its abscence *hug*
Edited the quote. Much better.
All the people who you've listed are good reasons for eugenics really. But I guess castration will do.
Reply #39 Thursday, September 22, 2011 12:51 PM
Y'see, times like this are why I think there needs to be a hug emoticon. But in its abscence *hug*
Edited the quote. Much better.
All the people who you've listed are good reasons for eugenics really.
Reply #40 Thursday, September 22, 2011 12:53 PM
and don't say "go nuts".
Ok, can we say Have a Ball!!! 
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Reply #21 Wednesday, September 21, 2011 11:34 AM
And while we're at it, let's put all the politicians on trial for being full of shit, lying and breaking promises at every turn
Bugger it, why stop there? Let's prosecute real estate sales people for artificially inflating house prices and making housing [including rental properties] largely unaffordable to the majority.
Then, when we're done with that lot, prosecute the dipshits who came up with global warming, for having mislead the masses with bogus research. Some of the above will also be in this category, and those who are should be triple prosecuted for having released so much hot air into the atmosphere.
Miss anybody???
Glad to know somebody dislikes these barstewards as much as I do. I feel a Joe User blog post coming on.