[ RadSafe ] Drawing the line between science >andpseudo-science. (was Rational Thought) >

[edmond0033 at comcast.net]

John:

I'm glad you quoted the below.  A few months ago I was criticized by 
RadSafe for not having backup information about Sternglass.  My E-Mail was 
not sent out as a result.  I have been in this business for many decades and 
have been aware of his 'speculations' and others, that try to (through the 
media) cause the public to panic.

Thanks again John,

Ed Baratta

edmond0033 at comcast.net

-----Original Message----- 
From: John Ahlquist
Sent: Thursday, October 06, 2011 3:46 PM
To: Radsafe
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Drawing the line between science 
 >andpseudo-science. (was Rational Thought) >

I was at the 1971 HPS meeting at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC when this issue 
was
hot.  There was a lot of press there for the Sternglass show.  I addition to 
the
excellent statement below read by Dade Moeller, there was a presentation 
showing
how Sternglass had cherry picked data on infant problems.  He did a study of
data in California but the period he used coincided with an outbreak  of 
rubella
{German measles] which causes at least a 20% chance  of damage to the fetus 
if a
woman is infected early in pregnancy.   The years before and after this
outbreak, things were normal.

Right after Moeller read the statement, I heard Sternglass sigh "Now I know 
how
Galileo felt."

John Ahlquist

From: radsafe-bounces at agni.phys.iit.edu on behalf of Bob Cherry
> Sent: Thu 06/10/2011 04:40
> To: 'The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Drawing the line between science
> andpseudo-science. (was Rational Thought)
>
> The December 1996 issue of the HPS Newsletter refers to an even earlier
> issue:
>
> Every issue of the HPS Newsletter seems to have information
> important enough to reference. The August
> 1971 issue is no exception. An exceptional event was
> described in that issue. After Ernest Sternglass presented
> a paper on an epidemiological study describing health
> effects from nuclear facilities discharges, Dade Moeller,
> President-Elect, read a statement that had been signed by
> Claire Palmiter, President. and all 13 past presidents of
> the Society.
>
> In part. it stated that Sternglass had presented papers
> in which he associates an increase in infant mortality
> with low levels of radiation exposure ... His allegations
> made in several forms, have in each instance been ana.
> lyzed by scientists, physicians, and biostatisticians in the
> federal government, in individual states that have been
> involved in his reports. and by qualified scientists in other
> countries. . Without exception, these agencies and scientists
> have concluded that Dr. Sternglass' arguments are
> not substantiated by the data he presents. The United
> States Public Health Service, the Environmental Protection
> Agency, the States of New York, Pennsylvania,
> Michigan, and Illinois have issued formal reports in rebuttal
> of Dr. Sternglass' arguments.
>
> Again. in spite of the efforts by the most respected
> authorities to prevent the widespread broadcasting of
> Sternglass' flawed perceptions, Sternglass was sought for
> comments by the media and his story told countless times.
> The public was presented with fearful misinformation.
> Many members of the Society wanted stronger efforts to
> counter erroneous information, but our story was not
> considered newsworthy by the media.
>
> --from Bob C
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