[ RadSafe ] Long lived isotope/particle specific activity

Thu May 26 11:16:40 CDT 2011

As another Heinlein fan, I would add that I believe he was not speaking about individuals who, because of circumstances beyond their control, did not have the opportunity to learn math (or other subjects) beyond what was necessary to stay alive.  Nor, I believe, did he have anything against individuals who, again because of circumstances beyond their control, had brains that didn't function well enough to learn beyond a certain level (though he was quite critical of societies that could not triage properly, and would spend millions per year on brain-dead bodies, but not fund vaccination and childhood nutrition programs).  He was, however of very low opinion concerning people who have the ability to understand, and the opportunity to learn, and choose not to.  He had even lower opinions of those who, having chosen not to learn, feel superior to those who do know about the subject, and feel that their own opinions should be given as much or more weight than those with superior knowledge.  

Heinlein was an elitist, and would wear that badge proudly.  However, as his books clearly showed, he believed that almost everyone had within them the ability to take responsibility for themselves, and rise above the crowd.  

Though he did get a little weird there, at the end.  

As for the math under consideration; while I admit that dose can be rather involved, and requires more comfort with uncertainty than many people achieve, half-life and specific activity are barely beyond balancing a checkbook.  Heck there are easy to use tables for most of what you want to do.

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu [mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Thompson, Dewey L
Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2011 8:42 AM
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Long lived isotope/particle specific activity

And we hear from our favorite curmudgeon again.  

No Franz, I am (was) not criticizing anyone, rather simply quoting a great author that I personally consider to be profoundly insightful.  

His name was Robert A. Heinlein, he wrote (primarily) Science Fiction.  This quote was within his book Time Enough for Love, originally published by Berkley in 1973.  I was much younger then, and found this particular book to be inspiring, and I quote from it often. That would probably be a character flaw.

The entire list of Robert's pithy quotes and insight on life may be easily found by searching the internet for "Notebooks of Lazarus Long".  I would urge you to peruse the link, and get a feel for Robert's take on life.  If fact, I urge you to read it.  I'll bet it has been translated to Austrian.  

http://www.angelfire.com/or/sociologyshop/lazlong.html

Certainly Franz, I publicly apologize for offending you, and I absolutely commit to being very careful in the future that I thoroughly and thoughtfully consider how you might take any message that I have a mind to post on here Radsafe to ensure that I never offend you anyone else again.  

After all, as we all know, you are the self appointed champion of polite demeanor here on Radsafe.

SO! I post this to the entire board to publically show my chagrin and meekly request forgiveness.

Most humbly

Your most loyal and faithful servant:

Dewey

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 
DEWEY THOMPSON 
Staff HP
Radiation Protection Department
T 314.225.1061
F 573.676.4484
E DThompson3 at ameren.com
.........................

-----Original Message-----
From: franz.schoenhofer at chello.at [mailto:franz.schoenhofer at chello.at] 
Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2011 10:02 AM
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) MailingList
Cc: Thompson, Dewey L
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Long lived isotope/particle specific activity

RADSAFErs,

Before writing my response I would like to urge the list owner to categorily and immediately remove the sender of the criticized mail from the list. In Austria it is a crime to use expressions like "Untermenschen" and this would be punished heavily as well as any neo-nazistic activities. This is not "dead law", but still applied, fortunately there are only very few cases against some idiots. The message by this person is clearly a violation of the legislation being in force as far as I know not only in Austria but all over Europe. What about the USA? Is it there legal to distribute Nazi propaganda? 

I expect a feed back -  personally to me, if you prefer. 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dewey,

Are you joking? Are you deliberately ridiculing and/or belitteling 99.99999% of the world population??? Are you providing "food" for Greenpeace or Busby-like organisations?

Please tell me and the list, that this was an erroneous post and why it was understood in a wrong way. 

I do not know anybody except some (not all!) of my scientific collegues who could do the mathematic required for dose determination - not to talk how they should get information about dose coefficients, radionuclide distributions, etc. etc. 

It has been a big task to educate people even in remote areas to learn how to add, subtract, even multiply or divide.  In the so-called developed countries this is a "sine qua non" requirement. Even in underdeveloped countries when buying kitsch souvenirs they are able to add numbers. 

Thank you also for linking the serious radiation protection questions to Nazi propaganda!!!!! Those people are not fully human? They are subhuman, in German referred to as "Untermenschen" - those who were Jewish, Polish, Slavic, Greek, Hungarian, not to talk other far away ethicities etc. etc., who "had" to be extinguished and partially were ??? 

I am sure that Sandy Perle will not support my points. It might be a (future) customer. 

Franz

---- "Thompson schrieb:
> Chuckle......
> 
> Anyone who cannot cope with mathematics is not fully human. At best he is a tolerable sub-human who has learned to wear shoes, bathe, and not make messes in the house.
> 
>                    The incomparable author Robert A. Heinlein.
> 
> : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 
> DEWEY THOMPSON 
> Staff HP
> Radiation Protection Department
> T 314.225.1061
> F 573.676.4484
> E DThompson3 at ameren.com
> 
> <SNIP>
> 
> Who fails to do arithmetic is doomed, not least to nonsense.
> 
> Doug Huffman
> CNS Shift Test Engineer
> CNS C.2340.X retired
> Washington Island
> Wisconsin
> 
> The information contained in this message may be privileged and/or confidential and protected from disclosure. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering this message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. Note that any views or opinions presented in this message are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Ameren. All e-mails are subject to monitoring and archival. Finally, the recipient should check this message and any attachments for the presence of viruses. Ameren accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this e-mail. If you have received this in error, please notify the sender immediately by replying to the message and deleting the material from any computer. Ameren Corporation
> 
> 
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--
Franz Schoenhofer, PhD, MinRat
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Vienna
Austria
mobile: ++43 699 1706 1227

The information contained in this message may be privileged and/or confidential and protected from disclosure. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering this message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. Note that any views or opinions presented in this message are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Ameren. All e-mails are subject to monitoring and archival. Finally, the recipient should check this message and any attachments for the presence of viruses. Ameren accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this e-mail. If you have received this in error, please notify the sender immediately by replying to the message and deleting the material from any computer. Ameren Corporation

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