I can hardly think of any policy better suited to ending seismology research in Italy than this one:
Italian government officials have accused the country’s top seismologist of manslaughter, after failing to predict a natural disaster that struck Italy in 2009, a massive devastating earthquake that killed 308 people. A shocked spokesman for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) likened the accusations to a witch hunt. . .
Enzo Boschi, the president of Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), will face trial along with six other scientists and technicians, after failing to predict the future and the impending disaster.
Earthquakes are, of course, nearly impossible to predict, seismologists say. In fact, according to the website for the USGS, no major quake has ever been predicted successfully.
Congratulations Italy, you have guaranteed that no one in Italy will ever predict an earthquake. And, of course, the effects won’t be limited to seismology. After this, who would work in Italy in any field that could conceivably predict a disaster?
(Via Instapundit.)
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