AW: [ RadSafe ] SI Units

[Franz Schönhofer]

Dear "osuleiman" you obviously did not observe the directions given by the
list owner- namely to give your full name and your affiliation. The name
"osuleiman" suggests that you are not American of birth, but nobody can
verify it, and you do not disclose your affiliation. Since you have
discomfort to use SI-units you must have lived in the USA for probably all
of your life. I do not expect that you have been trained in Japan or the
former USSR, where the outdated units are officially, but not scientifically
in use. 

If I would deliver a comment on the US attitude to SI-units some of the
hard-liners at RADSAFE would without doubt start to flame me -which I am not
afraid of, but would like to avoid. Never mind I will do it and launch soon
a comprehensive comment on the question of SI-units from me and all flames
will be welcomed!!!!! 

Oh, why flames? The world and the scientists have gone and are going to SI
and even the US is doing it. Scientists who want to question this, like
Sandy Perle, seem to try to delay this because - in the case of Sandy Perle
- of obvious commercial interests. (Flame expected.)  It is just a question
of time, that we will have SI units everywhere on this globe, whether in
radiation protection or in "meters". Europe did not really need a long time
to convert all the "Klafter", "Ellen", "gallons", "shilling", "pence",
"guinees", not to talks about "crowns", Kreutzer, Heller, Pfennig, Öre,
Kronor (Swedish, (Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic), etc. etc. Not only me by
billions of scientists welcome this. The "reluctance of the USA" is not
favouring their perception in the field of scientists in the scientific
world. Sandy Perle and similar persons have obviously not understood, that
the US reputation in radiation protection science is close to zero.    

Come on, at least in the field of money exchange, the dramatic changes in
the European Market, where most of the participants have adopted the EURO as
the standard currency has been in my opinion and of most Europeans a real
success. Hundreds of millions of people in Europe have been able to exchange
their national currency to a common European one "Euro" about 5 years ago
and on Jan 1st, 2007 approximately 6 million people in Slovenia have
switched to it, abandoning the "Slovenian Tolar". (US-Americans should
notice that the "Slovenian Tolar" was not named after the US-Dollar but
after the Austrian "Taler", which was originally named after the place in
nowadays Czech Republic (Joachimsthal, Jachimow), where the silver was mined
- "Joachimsthal". Well educated radiation scientists could trace this
"Joachimsthal" to the radium extraction industry at Joachimsthal,nowadays
Jachymov. Many more countries are to follow. A hopefully soon occurring
exchange of traditional radiation (protection) units to SI units should
really be no mayor problem. I will in another mail describe my own
experience going just during the Chernobyl accident from pCi to Bq.
Countries using the "old" units within the European Union until the
Chernobyl accident (for instance Austria) have adopted the SI units by law
since then. Since the European Union Directive has prescribed these units
there are no countries within the European Union adhering to the "old" ones!


Of course I know, that the US is blocking a lot of international efforts to
provide unification of justice and as well on the adoption of
internationally agreed units. I do not expect or at least hope, that they
will not be able to do this forever. At least I hope so and I know of many
friends in the USA having the same hope. 

Best regards to all of you!

Franz 

Franz Schoenhofer, PhD
MinRat i.R.
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Wien/Vienna
AUSTRIA


-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] Im Auftrag
von osuleiman at comcast.net
Gesendet: Donnerstag, 18. Jänner 2007 15:52
An: sandyfl at cox.net; John R Johnson; nssihou at aol.com
Cc: radsafe at radlab.nl
Betreff: Re: [ RadSafe ] SI Units

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Et al-

I find it really disturbing when it comes to how US scientists, primarily,
myself included, insist on using older  units.  It's not like the Roentgen
has been around for 2000 years, 1928 if you're interested. SI was introduced
in the 70's.

I do have discomfort using SI units, I will not lie.  However, if we are to
be progressive, and standardizing to minimize confusion is a noble cause,
why do we have an "our way or the highway" attitude?  Fortunately the
professional journals, and other organizations including the government are
moving forward, although at an extremely slow rate. I remember when I was
first introduced to SI in the 70's, that was several decades ago.  As a
scientific professional  I am frankly embarassed. Dissent is a right, and I
exercise it here.

And I do think that universal adoption of SI units will eventually happen,
it really is inevitable- but I continue to be amazed that it is discussed
and debated to the extent that it is.  How can one expect to be respected as
open minded and collegial and yet behave in a way that can only be perceived
as bordering on the stubborn?

We have more important things to discuss.