Recent BBC news story on the L’Aquila ruling which saw six scientists and one government official jailed for six years for manslaughter, after they “falsely reassured” residents prior to the 2009 earthquake. The ruling raises serious questions about the advice given by scientists in such circumstances, and whether they can ultimately be found accountable if their advice is wrong. The article discusses the difficulty in predicting events such as earthquakes, and looks at how scientists communicate risk assessment information. Will this ruling put scientists off offering independent advice?
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