"I doubt that human curiosity and ingenuity can be prevented in the long run from exploring fully the extent to which at least some earthquakes are predictable, although it is not easy. Such discoveries will be made in Japan, Europe, or China if the current lack of funding for earthquake prediction research continues in the United States."

Max is not saying earthquakes will be predicted, he is saying MAYBE they will be predicted: "exploring fully the extent", "at least some".

Your posts remain a curious mixture of

1. assurance that earthquakes are definitely predictable (based on ear tones, as far as I can tell),
2. a defense that we need research to find out if earthquakes are predictable, and
3. lack of confidence in the very people studying how rocks break and monitoring faults with sensitive instrumentation.

Attacking the current avenues of research would benefit from facts. I don't think Columbus's quest for America proves earthquakes are predictable.