This week’s verdict in Italy struck a particularly
painful spot for scientists, especially geologists. Seven seismologists who are highly respected in
the geological community, were sentenced to several counts of manslaughter
because they did not predict and give sufficient warning to the people of L'Aquila in 2009 that a major earthquake would hit. (1) In this lovely historic town, over 300 people
died, and apparently, the Italian public wanted someone to pay for it.
Galileo, as you all remember, was a brilliant scientist
with visions beyond his time who got sentenced to life-long house arrest for
bucking the mainstream thought with his crazy idea that the earth revolves
around the sun. He must be rolling over
in his grave now wondering why the Italian government still doesn’t get
science!
Predictions of anything are tricky. Take the weather. Generally, the forecasters are correct for
that day but once in a while even a day’s prediction does not turn out the way
we thought. The longer ahead into the
future the predictions, the less likely they are correct. Honestly, I wonder if there really isn’t a big
dial they spin, like on Wheel of Fortune, where landing on “Rain” here is like
losing a turn. At least with weather, we
can look at the skies, pressure fronts and jet streams to give us a good idea,
but earthquakes? Regardless of those
that swear there is “earthquake weather” or that their dog or cat acted funny
days before the quake, there really are no good predictors as to when, where or
how big an earthquake will hit.
Where does that leave those of us in the business of
trying to get people prepared? I’m a
pretty optimistic person who tries to see preparedness as something you do as a
positive thing – so bad things will have a minimal impact -- but there will
always be some people who need that stab of fear to act. Remember Chicken Little? She ran around and got everyone worked up
that the sky was falling. Then she took
5 of her closest friends to the fox who ate them all, where, in Italy, they
would have deserved it.
Truthfully, the sky is not falling. That is for sure, but there are many other
things that are unpredictable in our lives.
But being unpredictable does not mean never. Earthquakes WILL happen. A major flood WILL hit Southern
California. A major fire WILL destroy large
areas of the county. When? I don’t know.
All I am saying, friends, is just be ready for whatever. There really is a nice feeling in knowing you
are prepared.
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