1. Tell him he's too stupid to understand.
2. Get the police to force him to get on the boat.
My approach is to assure him that we will have a lookout posted who can warn us when we get within 100 miles of the end of the earth, and that, if this occurs, we will turn back, immediately.>>
Odd--my impression is that we would probably discuss the improbability of the concept among ourselves, discuss it rationally with him, and then tell him we'll post a lookout, etc., and that if he chooses not to go, that we'll hire someone else. In fact, we're already doing that with new employees who will be working with radiation.
Jack Earley
Radiological
Engineer
-----Original Message-----
From: William V Lipton [mailto:liptonw@DTEENERGY.COM]
Sent: Tuesday, September 17, 2002 9:22 AM
To: Michael G. Stabin
Cc: Jerry Cohen; Vincent A King; radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu
Subject: Re: TFP update article, E Magazine
"Michael G. Stabin" wrote:
"...To accept irrational fears as "reality" is defeatist. ..."
Unfortunately, even irrational fears are reality whether or not we choose to "accept" them - whatever that means. The key is to address what's bothering people, not dismiss it our of hand or ask our regulators to ignore it.
To expand your "earth is flat" analogy, say that someone is afraid to take a voyage because of a fear that the earth is flat and the boat will fall off. It seems that the approach of many Radsafers would be to either:
1. Tell him he's too stupid to understand.
2. Get the police to force him to get on the boat.
My approach is to assure him that we will have a lookout posted who can warn us when we get within 100 miles of the end of the earth, and that, if this occurs, we will turn back, immediately.
Maybe not "rational" to a scientist, but a lot better for business.
The opinions expressed are strictly mine.
It's not about dose, it's about trust.
Curies forever.Bill Lipton
liptonw@dteenergy.com