[ RadSafe ] Fwd: Which do people think is the 2nd place explanationfor Gulf War illness?

[James Salsman]

Dear Rainer,

Thank you very much for your reply.

I was hoping that someone would mention acetylcholinesterase
inhibitors, which include such chemicals as the pesticides behing used
in the February, 1991 combat deployment.  I am very familiar with Dr.
Golumb's work as the Chief Scientist of the Research Advisory
Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses, for which the U.S. taxpayer
has paid hundreds of millions of dollars so far.

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors are not teratogens, and therefore do
not explain any of the well-documented increase in birth defects.
They do, however, explain the vast majority of symptoms attributed to
GWI, including headaches, motor control problems, and similar issues
issues.  The reverse is just as true: only by considering
acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and depleted uranium can the full
spectrum of symptoms and complaints actually observed be explained.

Dr. Golumb's work is also available for free from the RACGWVI web
site:  http://www1.va.gov/RAC-GWVI/page.cfm?pg=13 and
http://www1.va.gov/RAC-GWVI/page.cfm?pg=45 .
I applaud Rainer for being the first person on Radsafe to remember Dr.
Golumb's work, which hit the news this past year.  It is the best
reply so far.  But again, it's a complementary and orthogonal cause,
and while it explains many observed symptoms that uranyl exposure
cant, it can not explain the observed effects which are likely caused
by DU exposure.

James Salsman

On Wed, May 28, 2008 at 2:56 AM,  <Rainer.Facius at dlr.de> wrote:
> "What is the most viable explanation of the increase of health abnormalities seen among troops and in Basra and Kuwait after the February, 1991 Gulf War?"
>
> James,
>
> your above formulation of what you perceive as the problem demonstrates conclusively that you have major difficulties to grasp the essence of the scientific process. My job as a (research) scientist is not to conjecture an explanation for some empirical observation and then strive to keep it alive but to do my very BEST to kill it. Only after I and the rest of the scientific community have failed to achieve this, I may consider - for the time being - my conjecture as a (i.e. ONE of - usually - many other) possibility.
>
> In short: The business of science is to REFUTE speculations (alias hypotheses). This, in a nutshell, is what according to Popper' falsification principle science can achieve - at most.
>
> Regarding your preferred speculation (DU) 'explaining' Gulf War "health abnormalities", a recent high ranking publication has firmly laid your "explanation" to rest. See below and:
>
> (i) radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl im Auftrag von Rainer.Facius at dlr.de;
> Do 13.03.2008 10:56;
> RE: [ RadSafe ] Etiology of the Gulf War syndrome
>
> and
>
> (ii) radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl im Auftrag von neildm at id.doe.gov;
> Do 13.03.2008 16:49
> RE: [ RadSafe ] Do these symptoms sound familiar?
>
> Since due to elementary laws of (Aristotelian) logic, refutation is conclusive and definite, your favourite speculation can only be resurrected if NEW(!) empirical data should arise. Until then - please let it rest in peace.
>
> Those interested in a copy of the paper are invited to ask for it.
>
> Best regards, Rainer
>
> Dr. Rainer Facius
> German Aerospace Center
> Institute of Aerospace Medicine
> Linder Hoehe
> 51147 Koeln
> GERMANY
> Voice: +49 2203 601 3147 or 3150
> FAX:   +49 2203 61970
>
>
> Beatrice Alexandra Golomb
>
> Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, 2093-0995
> Communicated by Stephen F. Heinemann, Salk Institute for Biological Studies,
> San Diego, CA, January 15, 2008 (received for review December 5, 2006)
>
> Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and Gulf War illnesses
>
> Published online on March 10, 2008
> Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 10.1073/pnas.0711986105
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> Von: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl im Auftrag von James Salsman
> Gesendet: Di 27.05.2008 16:41
> An: radsafelist
> Betreff: [ RadSafe ] Fwd: Which do people think is the 2nd place explanationfor Gulf War illness?
>
> What is the most viable explanation of the increase of health
> abnormalities seen among troops and in Basra and Kuwait after the
> February, 1991 Gulf War?
>
> <...>
>
> James Salsman
>
>
>