RE: Ltr to NucNews

["Ted Rockwell" <tedrock@CPCUG.ORG>]

Tom:



All the statements, and supporting equations, that show that epidemiological

populations must be huge to disprove the LNT are all based on LNT.  In other

words, if LNT is true, you can't disprove LNT.  True but silly.



The fact is that these studies DO grant highly statistical significance to a

robust hormetic effect.  Therefore some people conclude there must be

something wrong with the data.



The other point is that epidemiological studies tell us what is actually

happening to the persons we intend to regulate.  Confounding factors come in

when you use other populations in very different circumstances, like bomb

victims or miners or cell cultures, and try to apply the results to nuclear

workers or people living in homes with radon.  As someone once said, looking

at Cohen's data, "We should all live in homes with high radon and be saved

by the confounding factors."



Incidentally, I thought the remark you attributed to Twain was first made by

British minister Benjamin Disraeli, but I can't confirm it.



Ted Rockwell





************************************************************************

You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To unsubscribe,

send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu  Put the text "unsubscribe

radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail, with no subject line.