Just wondering what OLOer's think about Italy jailing scientists for failing to provide an accurate assessment on the likelihood of a severe earthquake?

Should scientists be blamed for failing to accurately foresee the fury of natural phenomena?

There are possibly questions here dealing with all kinds of scientific assessment, even issues influenced by man and affecting natural phenomena.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-23/italian-scentists-jailed-over-earthquak-warning/4328046

Politicians should therefore be held responsible for the policy mistakes they make.
K Rudd please tell us taxpayers how you intend to repay the BILLIONS of dollars for the 20,000 plus welfare for lifers you allowed into Australia.
Scientists can't foresee what mother nature has in store in most circumstances.
But blundering politicians should be able to foresee trouble when you try to fix something that is not broken and has worked successfully for years..

shocking!

Tim Flannery would be doing a long stretch. Can't think of on prediction he has made right.

Just a quick correction, in that the men convicted are free until they have exhausted avenues of appeal.

Here's more opinion on the conviction:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-23/scientists-in-shock-at-outlandish-earthquake-ruling/4330438

Poirot seems a good question to me.
Shocking that the dills actually told the residents they would be safe.
Even more so they have been sentenced.
They SURELY, will not serve time.
Italy is now a laughing stock.
Contributors hieing for true views, may well be ROTFL at the contribution of Philip s, as I am.
Banjo just followed him after the fence was trampled.

Poirot,

This is symptomatic of modern society’s penchant for casting blame on everyone around them, for things that are, essentially, out of anyone’s control.

One point of amusement (amid the tragedy) though was this:

“Rick Sarre, a professor of law and criminal justice at the University of South Australia, says the sentence is likely to be overturned. ‘All I can say is it would never happen here in Australia …’”

Really? Give it time. I foresee a day when the BOM or similar will be taken to court over untimely or inadequate storm warnings. The only difference will be that they are unlikely to be incarcerated, merely sued for millions. Of course, it will cost tax payers millions to reap the millions, but such is the merry-go-round of life. And those subsequent safety measures put in place after the Black Saturday bush fires had better work next time, for the sake of all those highly paid commissioners and contractors.

Oh dear. Did I just make a prediction? Now I have to hope it comes true lest I be hit by a class action law suit, or thrown in jail.

The real question is, at what point do people shrug and say, ‘Crap happens’?