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Subscribe to RSSApril 6, 2009: A magnitude-6.3 earthquake flattens villages in central Italy, killing at least 150 people and leaving thousands injured and homeless. NBC's Stephanie Gosk reports.
The six scientists and one government official convicted of manslaughter over statements they made before a 2009 earthquake that killed 309 in the town of L'Aquila, Italy, have filed appeals against the verdict.
All seven met the March 6 deadline for filing, according to Nature News.
Judge Marco Billi sentenced the seismologists and official to six years in prison on Oct. 22, 2012, after a yearlong trial. Three judges are expected to oversee the appeals trials, and in the meantime the prison sentences will remain on hold, Nature News reports.
The prosecutors contended that at a March 31 meeting in L'Aquila, the defendants had downplayed the risks of a large earthquake after a series of tremors shook the Italian city in early 2009. On April 6, 2009, a magnitude-6.3 quake hit, and 29 people who would have fled their homes stayed put, only to be killed when the buildings collapsed. [See Photos of L'Aquila Earthquake Destruction]
At the controversial meeting, one of the defendants, earth scientist Enzo Boschi, noted the uncertainty, saying that a large earthquake was "unlikely" but that the possibility could not be excluded. However, a press conference that followed saw another scientist telling citizens there was "no danger."
The verdict drew ire and condemnation from seismologists and other earth scientists around the globe.
"The idea is ridiculous, to hold scientists responsible for public policy," Chris Goldfinger, a professor of geology and geophysics at Oregon State University, said on the day of the verdict. "First, scientists have almost zero ability to predict earthquakes, and second, have no direct responsibility for public policy. Something has gone seriously wrong in the Italian legal system."
The defendants' attorneys, in their appeals, are asking for the verdict to be overturned and all charges dropped, Nature News reports. They are arguing that all of the statements made during the March 31 meeting were scientifically accurate, and that political authorities, not the scientific panel, should have the responsibility of informing the public of the risk.
It's impossible to know whether small quakes are foreshocks for a larger temblor, according to seismologists. A 1988 study of other quake-prone Italian regions found, for example, that about half of large quakes were preceded by weaker foreshocks. But only 2 percent of small-quake swarms heralded a larger rupture.
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This case has, and always will be, ridiculous. It's sad that there are still people who do not understand science.
Should the meteorologist be accountable for traffic accidents on slippery roads? Should a doctor be held accountable for not making it more clear that overeating could cause health problems?
Isn't is amazing that that could happen in Italy? You could expect it from some third-world nation, but from Italy? Shocking, really.
The 'justice' system of Italy is baffling. They want to put these scientists behind bars, while Berlusconi still walks free.
Its like putting the government in jail for hiring the scientist that would make more sense to me, i never heard of anything more stupid in my life. Just another example of power brings corruption and stupidness
This is definitely a case of politicians passing the buck for their own negligence. It doesn't take a scientist to know the basics of geology. And yet for people who live in such an active region, not far from Pompeii, these people know zippo about earthquakes! That suggests an attitude of willful ignorance.
The most basic knowledge of geological events--that they happen over the course of thousands of years and that they are extremely hard to predict, makes those scientists' statements absolutely correct. On the other hand, everyone with a brain should know that big earthquakes can happen and it pays to be prepared. Well, actually, it's really expensive to be prepared. Wait, maybe that's what this is all about. Politicians willing to send scientists to jail rather than accept their fair share of the blame when elections are held.
This is like holding scientists responsible for Hurricane Katrina. Ridiculous. Evidence of widespread ignorance about science. Ignorance begotten from prejudice and jealousy, no doubt.
Any scientist who takes public money is responsible to the public for statements he makes. Trying to slough the responsibility to provide expert opinion off onto politicians with no expertise in the matter isn't acceptable.
Now as anyone who studies earthquakes knows, the only honest answer to questions about whether an earthquake is imminent at a particular place at a particular moment is "I don't know." Anything else would be a lie which could put people in harm's way. The same holds for scientific pontification on other topics where knowledge is incomplete and theories uncertain.
Science can provide authoritative answers to some questions. A chemist can say with confidence that if you mix 2 moles of hydrogen with 1 mole of oxygen and provide a spark, you'll get a substantial bang. A physicist can tell you with great certainty that E=MC^2. But complex systems like active geological processes, or climate, are not well understood or thoroughly parametrized. Plunging into public policy-making when knowledge isn't complete carries risks. These Italians have learned one of those risks.
"the only honest answer to questions about whether an earthquake is imminent at a particular place at a particular moment is "I don't know.""
In that case the idiot who said there was no danger should have been charged with a lesser crime than he was, but why were the rest of them prosecuted at all?
That part makes no sense at all.
I agree that the correct answer is "we're not sure, earthquakes can happen randomly" - but to prosecute the whole bunch of them when only one of them had any real culpability is just nuts.
Gives new meaning to his statement:
"Opera lovers may be the narrowest people in the world."
Haruki Murakami, After the quake
JohnCarter-42... I agree with you. These scientist have left the world of research and entered the world of practice. I believe that these practicing scientist should have to be licenced to practice like engineers, pharmacist , doctors, and on yes lawyers. As all licenced petitioners these scientist will have to have malpractice insurance. These scientistcertainly not in Kansas anymore.....
Italy? Next there will be prosecutions against priests and cardinals and yes the Pope because they said God told them the world is going to end tomorrow or when you die and do not repent that you will burn in Hades a horrible death. Too much vino in the blood affects the brain.
Chicory when a professional makes recommendation to government they leave the world of research and become a practitioner. Practitioners are held to different standards than academics. A practitioner can make live and dead decisions.... As JohnCarter-42 noted above, the area a practice is very difficult, but they have represented themselves as a knowledgeable person, that makes you personally responsible for the advice you give... right or wrong, easy or hard... you are responsible... not get out of jail card... do not pass Go!...
As for priests or cardinals, the only one that knows if there advice is right or wrong is God and he is not saying...
Just saying
The Italian culture is one that is/has been noted for being quite 'emotional' and 'wearing ones heart on ones sleeve' , so to speak; one needs to simply think of the emotion in OPERAS.
Therefore, would it NOT make sense to a reasonably prudent person that a LOT of their culture (Vaticanism, etc.) is based on that same PHILOSOPHY , still to this day, and..........
"Philosophy is dead. Philosophy has not kept up with recent advances in science, particularly physics."
Professor/Astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, in the opening to his 2010 book, "The Grand Design."
Every person I have ever met who was from Italy was small in stature and had an ego the size of Dallas. Clothing made in Italy, though sized Large and Extra Large (for men) will not fit any American male over the height of 5' 7" and 150 pounds. The attitude of Italian prosecutors and judges is " I managed to get this job, so there could not possibly be anyone else qualified for it but me." Therefore, the court system is always biased in favor of the prosecution because they feel they can never be wrong. I am surprised the court didn't use the 'sex game gone wrong' on these forecasters, since it didn't work on Amanda Knox. Don't expect any leniency in this case, or in the case of the ship captain of the Costa Concordia -- here comes the 'sex game gone wrong' idea again. What a bunch of superstitious, egotistical idiots.
Oh yeah, it's the scientist fault that these people were stupid enough to think we can predict earthquakes with ANY kind of certainty. And the scientist should know better and should have just stuck to the facts. The the judge sure as hell should know better and should have immediately tossed this out.
Talk about a three ring circus of stupidity! Sad really considering what Italy gave us during the Renaissance. Now they give the world Burlusconi and this crap. Anyone what to go study science in Italy....? Anyone...