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?
