Re: unreported pre-Tokaimura industrial fatality

[Kerembaev@cs.com]

In a message dated 1/25/00 1:51:51 Pacific Standard Time, 
Keith.Bradshaw@nnc.co.uk writes:

<< 
    Slightly off topic this.  The public still perceives air travel as
 the safest mode of transport- 'the most dangerous part of your journey is
 the drive to the airport' and all that.  But if you work out the figures per
 passenger JOURNEY rather than per passenger MILE, air transport turns out
 the second most hazardous after the motorcycle.  Car transport per journey
 is far safer than air travel on this basis.  
>>
This is an example how it is easy to manipulate data to get needed result.

<<
The air travel sector does have
 this ultimate safety image, in contrast to the nuclear industry.  How did
 they manage this?
 >>
Well, looking on the recent TV infomercials, even the tobacco industry has 
learnt modern public relations culture. I can imagine that fifty years ago, 
an air plane also was not considered as the safest type of transportation. 
Since then, air planes became more safe, more people are using it, it became 
as a part of acceptable risk category, like an automobile. Now it became even 
more uncomfortable to talk about the risk of flying. 
Nuclear industry has a similar development, the fission and radiation in 
general have that image of unknown....like air planes had sometime ago. 
I had many friendly, without superiority, conversations with 
""nonprofessionals"" on both sides of Atlantic. I always could see how 
person's attitude is changing when nuclear energy is explained in simple 
terms and examples. And I can definitely tell that, after the conversation, 
person has less fear of radiation in general. Same thing happens with person 
after Nuclear Medicine or Radiation Therapy procedures. I wish, if MRI had 
its original name of NRI then more people would be PERSONALLY familiar with 
the word NUCLEAR.
Where are THE infomercials about how Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Therapy 
saved lives? Patients do not want to participate or nobody asked them? Or 
this is a private and uncomfortable subject? 
Well, I cannot imagine anything more private and uncomfortable than to see 
some of the recent infomercials.
Or may be some of public relationship departments need new ideas?
A new always was well forgotten..........

Regards,

Emil.
kerembaev@cs.com

Why people have three different languages, writing, spoken and thinking?
Why can't we write what we say and why can't we say what we think? 

"Unknown author"
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