Re: Steve Wing, a scientist?

["Otto G. Raabe" <ograabe@ucdavis.edu>]

August 4, 2000
Davis, CA

It has been repeatedly demonstrated that it is Steve Wing who is prone to
the use of selective and questionable methodology in his analyses,
apparently to support his personal opinion that ionizing radiation is more
hazardous than others believe. Nothing can be proved or disproved by
epidemiological studies, and the obvious flaws in Wing's methodology are an
impediment that cannot and should not be disregarded in trying to the
findings into the fabric of radiobiology. In his discourses, Wing
consistently refers to his selective mathematical associations as radiation
effects, a jump in logic that scientists should cautiously avoid.
Mathematical association does not prove causation, and many studies must
agree before the causation hypothesis can find justifiable support.
Selective studies like Wing's are not convincing when they disagree with
other similar and better studies.

Alice Stewart's childhood cancer studies imply results that are in direct
conflict with cohort studies, such as the RERF studies, that are far less
likely to be affected by unknown confounders. Stewart's studies and the
RERF studies of neonatal irradiation are in direct conflict. They cannot
both be right! Hence, science must make a choice. In the case of Stewart's
Oxford Study of Childhood Cancer, 85% of the children who developed cancer
were not even irradiated. Hence the true causes of childhood cancer are
unknown so that she could not possibly have controlled for them in her
case-control studies. The RERF analysis does not have this selection
problem because the exposed and controls were all randomly selected from
the same population group. 

Otto
	*****************************************************
	Prof. Otto G. Raabe, Ph.D., CHP
	Institute of Toxicology & Environmental Health (ITEH)
	(Street Address: Bldg. 3792, Old Davis Road)
	University of California, Davis, CA 95616
	E-Mail: ograabe@ucdavis.edu
	Phone:(530) 752-7754, FAX:(530) 758-6140
	*****************************************************
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