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The Right to be Wrong

Recently, six Italian scientists and one government official were convicted of criminal negligence and manslaughter over the earthquake in L’Aquila that killed over 300 people in 2009. The court ruled that they were liable for failing to adequately forewarn people of the natural disaster.

This recent case places the limelight on predictive sciences. What degree of accuracy should we demand? Should seismologists be held criminally liable for being wrong? Should they be morally liable for their inaccurate forecasts? Continue reading “The Right to be Wrong”