3 ms·
Here is a story with a good background on the events. It's more complex than you would guess: http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100622/full/465992a.html http://
by mturmon 14y ago
Here is a story with a good background on the events. It's more complex than you would guess:
http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100622/full/465992a.html http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100622/full/465992a.html
In particular, at least one member of the civil defense bureaucracy went out of his way to say there was a consensus that there was no danger (even though there was not such a strong consensus):
"Immediately after that meeting, De Bernardinis and Barberi, acting president of the committee, held a press conference in L'Aquila, where De Bernardinis told reporters that "the scientific community tells us there is no danger, because there is an ongoing discharge of energy. The situation looks favorable". No other members of the committee were at the press conference."
There should be consequences for such grave misrepresentations. I was surprised to see that the whole committee is being punished, though, and not just the official who misrepresented the state of knowledge.
Maybe, as some other commenters have noted, this is part of a ritual of condemnation at the first judicial level and absolution upon appeal to the second or third level.
- engtech 14y agoDoes anyone understand the title of Nature article? "Italy puts seismology in the dock" ? is it meant to be "in the dark" ?
- arscan 14y agoIt means to put on trial.
- mikeash 14y ago"In the dock" means "on trial". http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/in+the+dock.html http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/in+the+dock.htm...
- kirian 14y ago"in the dock" is an idiom meaning to be put on trial.
- michaelhoffman 14y agoDefinition of DOCK : the place in a criminal court where a prisoner stands or sits during trial — in the dock : on trial http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dock http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dock Commonly used in British/Commonwealth English, and Nature is based in London. I don't think I've ever heard it used in American English.
- SoftwareMaven 14y ago"On the stand" would be the equivalent US idiom.
- michaelhoffman 14y agoNot really, because any witness goes on the stand, whether they are a party to the case or not. Saying someone is "on the stand" does not mean they are a criminal defendant. Only criminal defendants are in the dock.
- dmckeon 14y agoUS and UK court idioms vary widely - a US defendant would be "on trial" while a UK accused would be "in the dock" Any witness would "on the stand" including a defendant who is called as a witness. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witness_stand https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witness_stand https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courtroom https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courtroom
- mc32 14y agoThe dock is where the person on trial sits. I.e put seismology on trial.
- drone 14y agoIt's an idiom, often used to express "putting on trial".
- engtech 14y agoThank you for the clarification, guys. I hadn't realized Nature was British/UK.
- deleted 14y ago[deleted]
- Uchikoma 14y agoYour "at least" wording shows bias. There was one.
- mturmon 14y agoNot really. I worded it that way because I was not sure if other civil defense bureaucrats might have made pronouncements. The article mentions only the one, but it does not claim to be comprehensive.