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A comment on Italian seismologists to be tried for manslaughter. Parent comment

Re:Italian seismologists to be tried for manslaughter by davidw on Thursday May 26, 2011 @01:13AM (#2586679)
> This isn't the first time Italy has reduced itself to the status of reactionary backwater by attacking scientists, Galileo being a case in point.

There was no "Italy" at that point. Galileo spent "the happiest years of his life" here in Padova, where he was given pretty much free reign by the Republic of Venice to do what he wanted because they were not nearly so much under the influence of the church, which was, and and still is a problematic influence on Italian society.

This is another "wtf" science story in Italy that's still quite current:

http://padovachronicles.welton.it/2011/04/23/crazy-science-i...

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Re:Italian seismologists to be tried for manslaughter by alexqgb on Thursday May 26, 2011 @02:02AM (#2586784)
Excellent points - especially the one about the fierce independence of the Venetians. The history of that city-state is truly magnificent.
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Re:Italian seismologists to be tried for manslaughter by davidw on Thursday May 26, 2011 @03:37AM (#2586953)
During large portions of its history, "city state" would probably not be completely accurate, as it was a country that had both large amounts of land in north eastern Italy, as well as numerous bits and pieces of land (Crete and Cyprus, for instance) scattered throughout the eastern Mediterranean.
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Re:Italian seismologists to be tried for manslaughter by ignifero on Thursday May 26, 2011 @07:57AM (#2587393)
They had us for ~400 years. It was called the 'Cretan Renaissance'. Their mark is still pretty obvious here. Kind of wish they'd stayed longer
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Re:Italian seismologists to be tried for manslaughter by skrebbel on Thursday May 26, 2011 @06:56AM (#2587273)
Wonderful how if something is long ago enough, expansionist powerplay and useless collateral damage becomes "truly magnificient".
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Re:Italian seismologists to be tried for manslaughter by davidw on Thursday May 26, 2011 @03:33AM (#2586946)
Also, as an aside, if anyone happens through the area this summer, as always, I'm happy to go out for a drink/pizza/whatever with fellow hackers, and, time permitting, show you around Padova a bit.
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Re:Italian seismologists to be tried for manslaughter by fbnt on Thursday May 26, 2011 @03:48AM (#2586976)
Hey David, if you'll ever manage to organize an HN spritz in Padova let me know, I'd be happy to join :)
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Re:Italian seismologists to be tried for manslaughter by davidw on Thursday May 26, 2011 @03:57AM (#2586993)
I'll be at this on Friday: http://www.programmersinpadua.it/
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