[ RadSafe ] Re: Radiation Hormesis

[Brennan, Mike (DOH)]

"All science is either physics or stamp collecting."      Ernest.
Rutherford
   
I am reminded of the story of a zoologist, biologist, and physicist each
being asked to discuss the most important aspects of elephants.  The
zoologist discussed the social aspects of the herd how elephants
interact with their environment.  The biologist discussed the huge
amount of food the elephant consumes and processes in which it is
processed.  The physicist gets up, thinks for a minute, and starts,
"Assume the elephant is a sphere..."

On the topic of hormesis; I would love for someone to do some definitive
research, well designed and meticulously controlled, that would address
both the claims and the criticisms.  I will even allow as to how I would
LOVE to have hormesis confirmed, if for no other reason than the
entertainment value of watching my friends in the EPA struggle with
setting maximum and minimum desired radon exposure levels.  Sadly, I
have yet to see anything about such research being done.  The hormesis
papers I've seen show as much evidence of cherry picking as the
anti-(fill in the blank for whatever you don't like) papers.