Manslaughter For Not Predicting An Earthquake? Really?

Wow.  Just Wow!  Take a look at this article when you get a moment of free time (http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20110526/sc_livescience/seismologiststriedformanslaughterfornotpredictingearthquake).

It’s about a group of 6 seismologists that are being tried for manslaughter for not being able to predict a 2009 earthquake in L’Aquila.  Maybe it’s me but this is just plain ridiculous!  Seriously, there is no exact science to predict an earthquake.  The article discusses how scientists are actively trying to develop methods to predict earthquakes but there are no tools out there currently to help predict a very random phenomenon.  It’s like trying to predict next year’s Super Bowl or World Series winner.  Yes we know certain areas of the world are more susceptible to earthquakes but when and exactly where they will hit is not exactly a science.  I’ll liken it to predicting a Super Bowl winner again.  We all know the best 6 or 7 teams but do we really know if any one of those teams will win the big game for certain?  No, it’s impossible because it’s unpredictable, just like many weather phenomenon.  It’s not possible to predict Mother Nature!

I will continue to follow this story because it could affect other scientists and weather experts.  What if I bought tickets to a baseball game and my local meteorologist told me it was going to be sunny and 85, yet when I get to the game and the sky opens up and a thunderstorm cancels the game.  Can I sue the weatherman for the cost of the tickets because he didn’t accurately predict this thunderstorm?  Can I sue the weatherman for the sunburn I got because he didn’t correctly tell me the sun was going to be out when I mowed my lawn?  Come on… This is ridiculous.  Meteorologists at least have instruments and tools to predict weather patterns but even that isn’t an exact science.  Patterns change, fronts come and go and it’s just an extremely hard job to do.  Imagine if we could sue them when they weren’t right.  There would be no weather experts because no matter what, Mother Nature is very unpredictable.

Maybe it’s me but whoever is trying these seismologists needs to have their head examined because how in the hell can you predict an earthquake….