Re: Dr. Lubin's response to Cohen's statements

[Bernard L Cohen <blc+@pitt.edu>]

	All of the points raised by Dr. Lubin here have been discussed in
our published exchanges. The only point that he seems to ignore here is
that my study was not claimed to give the risk to individuals -- it was
only offered as a test of the linear-no threshold theory (LNT) and LNT
grossly failed in that test. No other test for LNT has been offered in the
low dose region of my study, and, contrary to Dr. Lubin's intimations,
there is no discrepancy between my findings and any other data.
             
	I have available a very large data base, over 500 pieces of
data (including average radon levels and lung cancer mortality rates) on
each of 1601 U.S. Counties, and I have a great deal of experience in doing
analyses with it. I am looking for ways in which  such analyses can be
useful and that is a major motivation for my reward offers. The other
motivation is that I find it unacceptable that such a drastic discrepancy
between data and the predictions of a theory can be ignored without
finding some potential, not implausible explanation. To me, such a
potential explanation does not have to be provably correct, but it must be
specific and concrete enough to be analyzed so as to determine whether it
is not completely implausible. Apparently, Drs. Lubin and Field do not
share in this opinion, and that is basically where we differ.They feel
that their very generalized considerations make it unnecessary to offer a
potential specific explanation. In the past, such potential specific
explanations, offered by them and by others, have been analyzed by me and
shown to be completely implausible. 
	I am hoping that my reward offer will generate such  potential
explanations to be analyzed. 

Bernard L. Cohen
Physics Dept.
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Tel: (412)624-9245
Fax: (412)624-9163
e-mail: blc+@pitt.edu


************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html