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From: jca@abnji.UUCP (james armstrong)
Newsgroups: net.flame,net.legal
Subject: Re: Jurisprudence and Science
Message-ID: <142@abnji.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 4-Jan-85 07:28:10 EST
Article-I.D.: abnji.142
Posted: Fri Jan  4 07:28:10 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 5-Jan-85 02:36:23 EST
References: <750@sjuvax.UUCP>
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Xref: watmath net.flame:7463 net.legal:1196

> Just heard the news this evening.  Apparently some court has ruled
> against the U.S. Weather Service; holding them liable for - get this,
> failure to forecast a storm in which 3 boaters lost their lives.
> 
> This is the height of stupidity.  Atmospheric physics is by no means
> completely understood.  The forecasts are made in terms of probability,
> *not* certainty.  I understand (though I'm not sure of this) that some
> of the problems in weather forecasting are NP hard.
> 
> This essentially displays the utter failure of the legal profession
> to deal with and understand technological issues.  In fact, judging
> from their track record, the legal profession has problems dealing
> with *any* issues not pertaining to the legal profession.  As a matter
> of fact, they haven't dealt with legal ethics very well either.
> 
> Well, what do you think?  Do lawyers serve any useful purpose in modern
> society?  Is their track record pertaining to technological issues
> really as abysmal as it looks?
> 
> Regards,
> 
> -- 
> 				Binayak Banerjee
> 		{allegra | astrovax | bpa | burdvax}!sjuvax!bbanerje
> P.S.
> 	Send Flames, I love mail.

The Weather Service lost the case not just because of the incorrect prediction,
but because they were negligent in replacing an inoperative bouy.  I must
agree that a suit for bad predicitions is silly, and the decision was silly.

How much would the National Enquirer lose if they were sued for the inaccuracies
of their predictions???