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From Galileo to the L'Aquila earthquake: Italian science on trial | Stuart Clark | Science | guardian.co.uk

October 24, 2012

FromGalileototheL'Aquila earthquake:Italianscienceontrial
TheItalianearthquaketrial,inwhichsixseismologistsandacivil servantwerefoundguiltyofmanslaughter,hasaneerie resonancewiththeGalileotrialof1633

GalileofacingtheRomanInquisition,byCristianoBanti.LiketheItalianseismologists,Galileowastriedforafailure ofcommunication.Photograph:WikimediaCommons

OnMonday22October,anItaliancourt foundsevenmenguiltyofmanslaughter for theirroleinfailingtoadequatelycommunicatetheriskofapossibleearthquake. Theearthquakestruckon6April2009andkilledmorethan300peopleintheItalian cityofL'Aquila.

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From Galileo to the L'Aquila earthquake: Italian science on trial | Stuart Clark | Science | guardian.co.uk

TheexpertshadbeenconsultedinMarchthat yearabout thepossibilityofamajor quakeaftertremors,andtheprosecutioncasehingedonthefact that theyhadgiven out "inexact,incompleteandcontradictory"informationafterthismeeting. Thequestionis:wasthistrialabout scienceorcommunication?Whilethemediaare filledwithstoriesabout sciencebeingontrial,claimingthat thescientistshavebeen convictedoffailingtopredict theearthquake,NewScientist pointsout that the convictionwasactuallyforerrorsincommunication. Thisreport fromNaturealsosuggeststhat miscommunicationoftheMarchscientific discussionliesattheheart ofthematter.Nevertheless,thepopular perceptionofthe storyhasbeenthat scienceisontrial.Itiscertainlythescientistswhoarebearingthe brunt ofthepunishment.Theirsix-yearjailtermsarelongereventhanthefour-year sentencestheprosecutionhadrequested. Inthe17thcentury,Galileofacedhisowntrial.It ispopularlybelievedthat hewas convictedbecauseofhispracticeofastronomy.Infact,hewastriedbecauseoftheway hecommunicatedhisastronomy.Itisasubtlebut important difference. TheVaticanwasnot opposedtoastronomybut it wasagainst theunauthorised communicationofanythingthat wouldrequireachangeinthewaytheBiblewas interpreted.MovingtheEarthfromthecentreofthesolarsystemrequiredamassive rethinkofcertainbiblicalpassagesandsoshouldhavebeensubmittedtotheVatican forassessment.Galileodidnot dothat. AsCarlSaganoncesaid,"extraordinaryclaimsrequireextraordinaryevidence".In17th centuryItaly,claimingtheEarthmovedwasextraordinary.ThetroubleforGalileowas that hedidnot possesstherequiredextraordinaryevidence.Hisbeliefthat thetides werecreatedbyinertiaasEarthmovedthroughspacefailedevenacursoryanalysis. Eventhoughhistoryhasprovedhisheliocentricviewcorrect,whenchallengedat the time,hedidn't havealegtostandon.Hehadassertedtoomuch,andconvictionwasa foregoneconclusion.InL'Aquila,theoppositeappearstohavebeenthecase.The prosecutionthought that thescientistsrevealedtoolittleofwhat theyknew.Inboth cases,theresult wasdisastrous. In1633,thepunitivetreatment ofGalileoevisceratedthepracticeofastronomyin Italyforcenturies.Hewasplacedunderhousearrest fortherest ofhislifeand althoughtheconvictionwasformiscommunication,astronomyitselfbecametoxic. EventhestaunchlyCatholicSocietyofJesusmoveditsastronomical effortstothefar

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From Galileo to the L'Aquila earthquake: Italian science on trial | Stuart Clark | Science | guardian.co.uk

east tostayout oftheVatican'sgaze. Today,it isveryhardtoseehowtheconvictionofthesegeologistswilldoanythingto improvethesciencesinItaly.Certainly,lessonsinthecommunicationofearthquake riskmust belearnedfromthistragedy,but whowilldaretospeakupnowwiththis outcomeasprecedent?Whowillwant tostudyearthquakesinItaly? Thisverdict cannot bringbackthehundredslost inL'Aquila.It canonlydoommoreto dieasItalianscientiststurntheirbackonthestudyofearthquakes. Stuart ClarkistheauthorofTheSky'sDarkLabyrinth,anovelexploringGalileo'slife andtrial Previous Bloghome
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From Galileo to the L'Aquila earthquake: Italian science on trial | Stuart Clark | Science | guardian.co.uk

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