# Italian seismologists charged with manslaughter for not foreseeing L'Aquila earthquake **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 21, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-seismologists-charged-with-manslaughter-for-not-foreseeing-laquila-earthquake/597085 "2011-09-21T17:03:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Norse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norse)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-seismologists-charged-with-manslaughter-for-not-foreseeing-laquila-earthquake/597085/1 "2011-09-21T17:03:01Z")
[Story here](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/05/27/scitech/main20066827.shtml) It could have been ridiculously funny, if it hadn’t been so incredibly, mindboggingly stupid. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-seismologists-charged-with-manslaughter-for-not-foreseeing-laquila-earthquake/597085/2 "2011-09-21T17:09:18Z")
I think they’ve seen too many American disaster movies where the scientist not only predicts the catastrophe with unflinching accuracy, but also struggles to be taken seriously by the Powers that Be. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-seismologists-charged-with-manslaughter-for-not-foreseeing-laquila-earthquake/597085/3 "2011-09-21T18:18:06Z")
Stupidity in Italy and it **doesn’t** (directly) involve Berlusconi? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-seismologists-charged-with-manslaughter-for-not-foreseeing-laquila-earthquake/597085/4 "2011-09-21T18:21:36Z")
That’s silly, how could the seismologists have known when Amanda Knox was going to unleash an earthquake? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-seismologists-charged-with-manslaughter-for-not-foreseeing-laquila-earthquake/597085/5 "2011-09-21T18:31:05Z")
From the article: “thorough investigation of what happened, particularly with regard to information the committee may have had about which buildings were more likely to crumble” Telling people which buildings don’t comply with current building codes is not the job of Civil Protection, it’s the job of the local building authorities (that is, someone from City Hall). Asking Civil Protection to do that makes as much sense as saying “why doesn’t someone from the Department of State come check who is encroaching on a neighbor’s property, uh?” ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-seismologists-charged-with-manslaughter-for-not-foreseeing-laquila-earthquake/597085/6 "2011-09-21T18:35:11Z")
Shouldn’t they be trying Bennie? After all, an earthquake is an “Act of God” and as his representative on earth, Bennie bears the responsibility of warning everybody when The Big Guy is pissed. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-seismologists-charged-with-manslaughter-for-not-foreseeing-laquila-earthquake/597085/7 "2011-09-21T18:38:06Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Stupidity in Italy and it **doesn’t** (directly) involve Berlusconi? Maybe that was the day he made it through all 11 ladies… ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-seismologists-charged-with-manslaughter-for-not-foreseeing-laquila-earthquake/597085/8 "2011-09-21T20:51:19Z")
Imagine, 3 years ago the scientists had said there was an immediate danger and a couple of billion Euros need to be spent to make the population safe. What would have happened if the money was spent and no earthquake came? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-seismologists-charged-with-manslaughter-for-not-foreseeing-laquila-earthquake/597085/9 "2011-09-21T21:06:22Z")
> [@Duke](#): > > Maybe that was the day he made it through all 11 ladies… He practices the ancient Roman art of whoreomancy. 11 equals no earthquake, 8 means it might rain. And 6 whores in a day? Well, that means that ol’ Silvio is losing his touch and needs to step it up, or the voters won’t respect his manliness. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-seismologists-charged-with-manslaughter-for-not-foreseeing-laquila-earthquake/597085/10 "2012-10-22T18:03:43Z")
So it’s not just Americans who don’t understand science: > **[Italian scientists convicted of manslaughter for earthquake risk report](https://arstechnica.com/science/2012/10/italian-scientists-convicted-of-manslaughter-for-earthquake-risk-report/)** > > No finding of elevated risk in a report days before a fatal earthquake. Morons. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-seismologists-charged-with-manslaughter-for-not-foreseeing-laquila-earthquake/597085/11 "2012-10-22T18:06:55Z")
Shameful. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-seismologists-charged-with-manslaughter-for-not-foreseeing-laquila-earthquake/597085/12 "2012-10-22T18:13:40Z")
Yes. ---
**Author:** ![dimmy\_derko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/43a26b/32.png) [@dimmy\_derko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dimmy_derko)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-seismologists-charged-with-manslaughter-for-not-foreseeing-laquila-earthquake/597085/13 "2012-10-22T18:37:49Z")
Was this decision made solely by a judge or was there a panel or jury involved? However it arose, all concerned ought to be ashamed of their stupidity. ---
**Author:** ![FredGarven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@FredGarven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FredGarven)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-seismologists-charged-with-manslaughter-for-not-foreseeing-laquila-earthquake/597085/14 "2012-10-22T18:39:54Z")
Hey, congratulations Italy. You just became the newest 3rd-World Country. Good job. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-seismologists-charged-with-manslaughter-for-not-foreseeing-laquila-earthquake/597085/15 "2012-10-22T19:00:17Z")
I know I’m bumping a zombie, but [the seismologists have now been convicted of manslaughter](http://news.yahoo.com/italian-scientists-convicted-over-earthquake-warning-153427877.html). ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-seismologists-charged-with-manslaughter-for-not-foreseeing-laquila-earthquake/597085/16 "2012-10-22T19:00:24Z")
A more careful reading of the article seems to indicate that they were convicted of failing to warn of the dangers, not failing to predict. Their job was to evaluate the town and detail the weak spots and danger zones, and they minimized the potential disaster areas. This resulted is inadequate safety measures being put into place, and people dying as the result. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-seismologists-charged-with-manslaughter-for-not-foreseeing-laquila-earthquake/597085/17 "2012-10-22T19:02:10Z")
> [@](#): > > Reportedly, one of the Italian government officials took matters a step further, declaring that there was no danger, and suggesting that the smaller earthquakes had relieved stress on the fault. It seems like the scientists were responsible on describing the probabilities, but as it happens, many times politicians ignore the big picture and just mention to the public what they want to hear or to be reassuring, ignoring several parts of the report. Maybe :dubious: the world scientific community would had agreed to get to the politicians, but this insane court in Italy was trying the scientists as well as the politicians. So far as described and depending on more information, you bet I’m going to contact the local science groups to see how I can help with letters or contacting authorities in Italy to make the appeal and protect the scientists. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-seismologists-charged-with-manslaughter-for-not-foreseeing-laquila-earthquake/597085/18 "2012-10-22T19:05:58Z")
This is earth shattering news. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-seismologists-charged-with-manslaughter-for-not-foreseeing-laquila-earthquake/597085/19 "2012-10-22T19:11:52Z")
I think there’s a good chance there will be an appeal. I mean I’m not sure exactly when it’ll happen or anything or how many persons will be involved but, you know, at some point there’s a chance, a likelyhood than an appeal of some kind will occur. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-seismologists-charged-with-manslaughter-for-not-foreseeing-laquila-earthquake/597085/20 "2012-10-22T19:20:20Z")
For a country that can’t convict criminals that operate virtually out in the open, this is pretty fucking embarassing [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-seismologists-charged-with-manslaughter-for-not-foreseeing-laquila-earthquake/597085.md?page=2)