Re: BERT, DARI, etc.

[Paul_Prichard@DOM.COM]

I agree with Jerry Cohen's first paragraph about the public being

technologically ignorant, innumerate, and radiophobic. This apparently

include the media as well.  That's why BERT seems to be such an appropriate

method of explaining radiation dose to the public.  But in the hands of a

journalist, even the most innocent device can be used in reverse.  The

example cited in the news article about the kid receiving three months

worth of dose in less than a day makes it seem equivalent to someone taking

aspirin (an aspirin a day for 90 days is beneficial, 90 aspirins in one day

is not).  I doubt if this is the comparison that John Cameron intended to

portray.

I do a lot of radiation worker training here and I've found that using BERT

is extremely useful.  However, I've learned that the worker (the

technologically ignorant worker) needs some context in order to understand

any comparison.  My pastor once told me that the key in understanding the

Bible was to realize that each text should be interpreted in its context.

Otherwise you can justify almost anything.  The context is like the

background music of a movie.  It sets the emotional (irrational) tone of

what is presented.  What would "Jaws" have been like with some lilting

violins or flutes instead of the dah-dah, dah-dah?  Perhaps we need to

spend more time on the tone and not just present clinical facts and report

results.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just an analog guy in a digital world.

Paul Prichard

Millstone Station

Paul_Prichard@dom.com

(860) 437-2806



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