[ RadSafe ] political funding of science/ was:Radon:POWERFULLY associated with LESS lung cancer by B.Cohen

[Brennan, Mike (DOH)]

Although Abraham Lincoln, one of our best presidents and clearly the
greatest Republican of our country's history, did not actually say the
word, "The Constitution is not a suicide pact", he clearly believed that
and acted upon it.  If the federal government were to ignore the
importance of advancing science and technology, it would inevitably have
the same effect as when the Chinese Empire chose to turn its back on the
rest of the world, and stagnate while the rest of the world over took
it, and exploited it, and ultimately destroyed it (Yes, I know that the
land and the people still exist, but the government does not, and what
ultimately replaced it hasn't been terribly enlightened, even compared
to the dismal record of the Empire). 

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Glenn R.
Marshall
Sent: Friday, June 17, 2011 11:16 AM
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] political funding of science/
was:Radon:POWERFULLY associated with LESS lung cancer by B.Cohen

I have searched the U.S. Constitution and can find no authority given to
the federal government to fund or engage in scientific research (except
maybe as it pertains to funding an army or navy or setting weights and
measures).  Individual states may fund research--usually through
universities, but the federal government's authority in this area is
limited to the issuance of patents and copyrights.  

Don't shoot me; I'm just reading what it says.

Glenn Marshall


-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Brian Riely
Sent: Friday, June 17, 2011 2:08 PM
To: 'The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing
List'
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] political funding of science/ was:Radon:
POWERFULLY associated with LESS lung cancer by B.Cohen

The difference between an economic football and a political football is
that if it is not real science, there will be no economic return because
it will not work.  A private company could not survive if it put it put
its resources in developing a perpetual motion machine.  On the hand,
political footballs are agenda driven and it does not matter if the
science is real as long as the money spent on the science generates
votes from the public.

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Clayton J
Bradt
Sent: Friday, June 17, 2011 1:39 PM
To: sjd at swcp.com; radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu
Subject: [ RadSafe ] political funding of science/ was:Radon: POWERFULLY
associated with LESS lung cancer by B.Cohen

Steve Dapra writes:


"The problem is that politics funds science, thus transmuting science
into a political football.  Real science can raise its own funding.  It
does not need to leech off the taxpayer."