Scientist Forced To Remove Earthquake Prediction 485
Hugh Pickens writes to mention that Italian scientist Giampaolo Giuliani, a researcher at the National Physical Laboratory of Gran Sasso, recently gave warning about an earthquake that was to happen on March 29th of this year near L'Aquilla. Based on radon gas emissions and a series of observed tremors he tried to convince residents to evacuate, drawing much criticism from the city's mayor and others. Giuliani was forced to take down warnings he had posted on the internet. The researcher had said that a 'disastrous' earthquake would strike on March 29, but when it didn't, Guido Bertolaso, head of Italy's Civil Protection Agency, last week officially denounced Giuliani in court for false alarm. 'These imbeciles enjoy spreading false news,' Bertalaso was quoted as saying. 'Everyone knows that you can't predict earthquakes.' Giuliani, it turns out, was partially right. A much smaller seismic shift struck on the day he said it would, with the truly disastrous one arriving just one week later. 'Someone owes me an apology,' said Giuliani, who is also a resident of L'Aquila. 'The situation here is dramatic. I am devastated, but also angry.'"
Re:lol (Score:2, Funny)
So, your an american to?
DNF (Score:5, Funny)
Re:A broken watch is right twice a day (Score:3, Funny)
Hey that's my mother you're talking about...she only horoed because she was young and needed the money.
Re:You can't (Score:5, Funny)
when someone who knows more than you about a certain topic warns you, listen!
"How you can tell when you are in perilous times. That's when people go out of their way to listen to the advice of engineers." -- DOOM Novel 3 "Internal Sky" p. 70.
Re:cry wolf (Score:5, Funny)
This is more like a guy (boy) who has spent years researching wolves to a degree that he has wolf detection methods that pick up on wolf phermones and indicators that systematically suggest when the wolf might *actually* show up.
Re:regardless of his science credentials (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Hmm... (Score:5, Funny)
Guess what, there is going to be a major, devastating earthquake in California very soon. Though I'm pretty much guaranteed to be right, should I expect everyone to leave CA until it happens?
Fuck, no. I'd also like all the Texans possible to go to CA until after it's over.
Re:Bad Science (Score:2, Funny)
My tea leaves tell me that big-breasted beauties will show up here next week. Looks like we're at a stalemate, Trebeck.
Re:Bad Science (Score:5, Funny)
my tea leaves tell me that your town is going to be destroyed by an earthquake next week.
I'm interested in purchasing your tea leaves. I've also heard you have a tiger-repelling rock...
Please mod my comment down (Score:5, Funny)
I shouldn't be making jokes at a time like this. I'm sorry. Please mod my previous comment down. Thank you.
Re:liability? (Score:2, Funny)
Since people died, they should also be charged with homocide.
Come on, man. Just because Italians are always well groomed and impeccably dressed, doesn't mean they are all gay.
Re:Bad Science (Score:0, Funny)
Re:Mistake in repoting the earthquake correctly. (Score:3, Funny)
I don't recall that the Vatican was in the business of predicting earthquakes.
Re:cry wolf (Score:5, Funny)
The funny part is, he was *immediately* labeled an imbecile when the earthquake was late.
Oh no - don't tell me the next thing that will happen there is they elect a new government that will make sure the the earthquakes arrive on time
Given the state of the art of earthquake prediction, he was pretty good - probably a bit better than Italian railroad arrival predictions. -)
Re:Bad Science (Score:5, Funny)
I've also heard you have a tiger-repelling rock...
I have one on my desk as well. 10 years and no Tiger attacks so far, so I'd say it pretty much works.
Re:earth sciences, who needs them? (Score:2, Funny)
just. move.
Re:cry wolf (Score:5, Funny)
I just wanted to point out that people are quick to jump to conclusions if it reinforces their reality model.
Giuilani: "Hey guys, earthquake is coming." ... ...
Everyone else: "No it's not, idiot"
Giuilani "Yes it is, look at my research!"
Everyone else: "See, it didn't come. We knew you are an idiot!"
Earthquake: "Sorry, I was held up at the border"
Everyone else: "OH SHI-"
It's just like any good disaster movie... (Score:3, Funny)
- Towering Inferno: Building developer refuses to cancel dedication party after bad wiring is found and fire starts.
- Jaws: Town mayor refuses to close beach after attack from big shark.
Come to think of it, Tommy Lee Jones's and Pierce Brosnan's Volcano movies were the same deal...
Re:cry wolf (Score:5, Funny)
Yeah, well, it's a lot easier to make something structurally sound if it's not expected to have the same occupancy load that would be required for a modern western city. There weren't nearly as many Incans as there are Italians. Particularly since the former weren't Catholics.
Re:cry wolf (Score:5, Funny)
The best way to predict the future is to create it. -- Richard Bandler
Given the topic of this article, your sig just got rather scary.
Re:Bad Science (Score:4, Funny)
The computer you typed your post on...is it made of tea leaves?
No, but the site it talked to was made of perl [slashcode.com].
Thank you. I'll be here all week. Tip the veal and try the waitress.
Re:You can't (Score:5, Funny)
"How you can tell when you are in perilous times. That's when people go out of their way to listen to the advice of engineers." -- DOOM Novel 3 "Internal Sky" p. 70.
Know who you should never go to for advice? Someone who reads DOOM novels...
Re:cry wolf (Score:5, Funny)
Oh no - don't tell me the next thing that will happen there is they elect a new government that will make sure the the earthquakes arrive on time
Next thing you know people will be repeating the anti-fascist quote that, "Mussolini made the earthquakes arrive on time."
Re:Hmm... (Score:4, Funny)
Well, you have to kill yourself first...
Re:lol (Score:5, Funny)
Only if he's an import. A true 'merkin would have been several hundred miles north.
Re:cry wolf (Score:3, Funny)
In fairness, if he hadn't've called his earthquake prediction machines "cassandra", it might've been taken more seriously.
Re:cry wolf (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Bad Science (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Good science? (Score:5, Funny)
I tried that, and nothing... nothing's happened at all, I'm now just staring at the screen which I typed "radon earthquake" into. How's that helpful?
Re:Bad Science (Score:5, Funny)
Re:cry wolf (Score:2, Funny)
it took them 40 years to find a place nice enough to be worth invading instead.
Worth invading? They spent 40 years wandering around in the desert and finally picked the one spot in the whole middle east that doesn't have any oil.
Re:cry wolf (Score:3, Funny)
The funny part is, he was *immediately* labeled an imbecile when the earthquake was late.
And everytime some girl is late there is a guy who feels like an imbecile too! That's gotta mean that girls = earthquakes...maybe she was right when she said "I'm gonna rock your world"