AW: [ RadSafe ] Chernobyl's Reduced Impact

[John Jacobus]

Mike,
First, I think that one needs to clinically define
radiophobia?  What are its symptoms? Is it the fear of
radiation per se, or the consquences, such as cancer,
or burns, or some other aspects.  Supposedly,
Roentgens wife refused to have another x-ray after she
saw the one of her hand and ring.  I think saying
something is a phobia is too simplistic. 
http://www.aboutphobias.com/ 

Consider ophidiophobia, a fear of snakes, which I
blame on the Bible. I would certainly say people are
afraid of snakes out of proportion to their threat. 
Are people afraid because the snake is alien in
appearance, or that they can move so quickly.  

I don't radiation is anymore feared than any other
event in our lives.  I am glad to hear that you do not
think it is directly related to the LNT hypothesis.

With events like Chernobyl and Three Mile Island, I do
think the panic was generated by the fear of an
nuclear explosion.  And when I think about it, I guess
Chernobyl was the embodiment of that scenario.

--- "Stabin, Michael"
<michael.g.stabin at Vanderbilt.Edu> wrote:

>  
> >Blaming every preceived problem on the use of the
> LNT hypothesisis the
> same as anti-nuclear people blaming radiation for
> every cancer. 
> 
> I don't think anyone is doing that. Radiophobia is a
> real phenomenon,
> and clearly at least a contributory element in the
> depression,
> alcoholism, etc. cited in the article. It certainly
> was the cause of the
> unnecessary abortions in Europe post-Chernobyl, the
> cause of the only
> fatalities at TMI (traffic accidents). I don't see a
> direct connection
> here with LNT. People are afraid of radiation in a
> manner that is out of
> proportion to its real threat. Radiation, like
> electricity, can pose a
> real threat, but can be managed and if properly
> managed, like
> electricity, we can live without unhealthy fear of
> it while it is part
> of our lives. Correction of misperception is at
> least a good thing, if
> not a responsibility that those of us who know
> better, to do.
> 
> 
> Mike


+++++++++++++++++++
"Every now and then a man's mind is stretched by a new idea and never shrinks back to its original proportion." -- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

-- John
John Jacobus, MS
Certified Health Physicist
e-mail:  crispy_bird at yahoo.com

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