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Geologists Might Be Charged For Not Predicting Quake
mmmscience writes "In 2009, a series of small earthquakes shook the region of L'Aquila, Italy. Seismologists investigated the tremors, but concluded that there was no direct indication of a big quake on the horizon. Less than a month later, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake killed more than 300 people. Now, the chief prosecutor of L'Aquila is
looking to charge the scientists with gross negligent manslaughter for not predicting the quake."
who actually know something about earthquakes as opposed to the fuckwits who want to sue. Earthquake intensity is notoriously hard to predict - in fact if my memory serves me correctly it has only happened a couple of times in the last couple of decades despite billions being spent on research and monitoring.
You mean like - Climate prediction?
I'm just saying - maybe we should prosecute the weatherman for the tornado that killed some many people.
Have you compiled your kernel today??
title says it all.
Be seeing you...
Science is not some fucking magic thing that can predict natural disasters.
Would that include such things as AGW?
The thing about AGW is that the A stands for "anthropogenic", which is a fancy word for that means "caused by human beings". So, by definition, "AGW" is not natural.
But considering you're a climate-change denier, I guess we shouldn't really expect you to understand or be supportive of any type of science.
My dad a former health/life/group insurance salesman one day in 1996 sat me down.
He sat me down and told me this
'in 15 years the health care system in the united states will not be what it is today'.
'Wha in the H are you talking about dad?'
'Today they signed into law that all employers MUST offer some sort of health insurance to their employees.'
'isnt that a good thing for you dad? you sell insurance'.
'Oh yeah I will make a killing at first but eventually the large companies will merge and I will be out of a job.'
'that doesnt make sense dad'
'They will mega merge into large risk pools and slice and dice the risk there will be no need or margin for independent salesmen like me. They no longer need to sell to everyone just medium to large companies.'
'I still do not understand why that would mess things up'
'money there will be too much money in the system.'
'I still do not understand'
'At first costs for everyone will go down but eventually there will be all this "free money" floating around for the doctors to gobble up so they will raise their prices to match what the market will bear'
'ohhh'
'it gets worse, the payments everyone makes will not go up so there will be less and less actual profit in the system so eventually there will be thousands of dollars being exchanged for what are simple procedures yet no profit made'
'ok now you lost me again'
'well now as doctors raise their prices they make more money and attract unwanted attention to what they actually do and will be expected to perform perfect things. They will charge higher and higher rates to cover their own insurance in case they get sued'
'so not even the doctors make out? but then the insurance company who the doctors pay get some money'
'oh no see they still get sued and the insurance company has to pay out'
'buh?'
'nope the only ones who will get any money in the end are the very same lawyers who passed this dumb law in the first place and now you know why laws are passed and who passes them.'