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Web Site Selling "Earthquake Forecasts"

waytoomuchcoffee writes "The San Francisco Chronicle is running a story on geoForecaster.com, a site that offers 'earthquake forecasts,' for a fee. California is looking into claims that the site is practicing geology without a license."

7 of 212 comments (clear)

  1. Is this for real? by revmoo · · Score: 4, Interesting
    "practicing geology without a license"????

    Is that a joke or what, I am astounded that there is a law against someone "practicing geology without a license", I'm interested, what does it take to get a "geology license", how much does it cost? What if someone in japan hosted a site predicting earthquakes in california, what then? This whole thing seems rather bizarre to me.

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    I would expect such blatant racism on Fark, but on Slashdot? Mods please ban this asshole.
    1. Re:Is this for real? by SoVi3t · · Score: 2, Interesting

      What the hell? People can't have a criminal record, lol? Are their people getting out of prison saying "I can't wait to do some illegal geological studies!"?

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      Defender of Microsoft and Communism!!!
  2. Do it Yourself by blair1q · · Score: 2, Interesting


    The NEIC gives you all the data you need to predict your own Earthquake as accurately as any other internet-diploma geologist.

  3. Any who coerce to contract is breaking the law by AnonymousCowheard · · Score: 1, Interesting

    It is unconstitutional to force another into a contractual agreement that violates their Constitution. I hold in my hands the Constitution of the United States of America. Look into the founding of the United States...WE ARE RECOGNIZED OF HAVING CERTAIN UNALIENABLE RIGHTS. Here comes the 10th Ammendment, stating that all rights not enumerated by the Constitution are reserved by the States (not State Government) or to the people ("the people" is an institution/organization: corpus corpus et al). Then here comes the unlawful ratification of the 14th Ammendment, stating that your rights are granted and are revokable as being a "citizen of the United States".

    California is looking into claims that the site is practicing geology without a license."

    The "state of California" appears to think that it owns earthquake waves and considers itself the granted entity to contract the study of earthquake waves. If that is true, then I'll be the first to issue a license to anyone that desires to harvest cheese on the moon.

    After the unlawful ratification of the 14th Ammednment, the Constitution conclusivly comemorates that we:

    "have certain unalienable rights reserved to the States or to "the people"...[that are not any more unalienable, they are granted by us after our long Revolutionary War to secure such, and we will revoke any rights as we see fit: including and not limited to your previously reserved right to forecast our earthquake waves without our permission]."

    They already took your right of unresricted travel, as secured by the 10th Ammendment. They already regulate your freedom of speech over the internet; say somthing the FCC church or the ICANN church didn't allow you to say and they will terminate such. The "state of California" doesn't allow freedom of the press of earthquake waves and has claimed ownership of its territorial earthquake waves.

    Is anyone still enjoying taking it up their a$$?

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    But I'm sure you already Gnu that.
  4. You need a licence to do geology now? by wackybrit · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I can understand needing a licence to practice medicine or do brain surgery, because you could kill someone.. or even a licence to be an architect or a lawyer because you could seriously injure or screw people up if you go wrong.

    But doing scientific research into the planet? What is there to screw up there? Measuring some vibrations is hardly life-threatening, even if the quake turns out to be.

    Watch out, they'll make you get a licence to be able to program soon.

  5. Yet more information! by divide+overflow · · Score: 2, Interesting


    Woohoo...too bad I didn't get this in my previous posting (see above). Check this out... this comes from the Earthquakes FAQ from the Quake Tracker website created by Michael Kozuch, the guy responsible for geoForecaster.com:

    4. Can earthquakes be predicted?

    It is possible to estimate where big earthquakes are likely in the next 50 to 100 years, based on geological investigations and the historical record of earthquakes. However, it is not yet possible to accurately predict the time and location of the next earthquake. A number of physical changes have been observed before some earthquakes, but the problem is that so far, no particular change has been noted consistently. Some scientists have observed changes in the earth's magnetic and electric fields, gas emissions, changes in water well levels, and changes in the levels of dissolved gases in groundwater. Other scientists have noted changes in the frequency and location of small earthquakes. A very small number of earthquakes have been successfully predicted. The most notable success was near Haicheng, China in 1975, where 90,000 people were evacuated a few hours before an earthquake that destroyed 90 percent of the buildings. The prediction was based on unusual animal behaviour and a greatly increased number of small earthquakes (foreshocks) that suddenly stopped. One of the animal observations was that snakes came out of hibernation and died due to the cold. It is now thought that this was caused by unseasonably warm weather. However, scientists wrongly predicted a major quake in Kwantung Province, and for two months millions of people lived in tents before authorities decided the prediction was wrong. Later in 1976, an unpredicted quake, magnitude 7.8, in China's Tangshan Province took 250,000 lives. It was the most disastrous earthquake this century. Since then, China has moved its resources away from earthquake prediction and into improving the earthquake resistance of buildings.

    I find it highly amusing that the FAQ page of the website hosting his earlier project says you can't predict an earthquake. I guess he didn't read the page. ;^)

  6. The Federal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    government IS currently conducting an investigation into PayPal business practices. The FDIC oversight commision filed a complaint about their policies, for just what you are suggesting...More to follow...