Re: Re: Radon and Lung Cancer: What the studies really say.

["Gary Howard" <radiation@webmail.co.za>]

Maury,



Dr. Field did state, "At this point, let's agree to see if the NCRP

provides a view on the adequacy of your smoking data since this

dialogue is going nowhere."



Dr. Field tried to end it - going as far as trying to set up a

separate list so we can all get back to more technical day to day

issues, BUT, it was Dr. Cohen who never agreed to let the NCRP settle

it. I remember it well since I was the one who first asked each of

them if they would wait until the NCRP decided. Dr. Field responded to

me within 6 hours that he would wait and accept the NCRPs position if

they addressed the adequacy of Dr. Cohen's smoking data. Dr. Cohen

never agreed to even wait.



What gives you the right to attack Dr. Field, are you now the new list

manager?  Dr. Field tried to end it.



My observation is that Dr. Cohen always gets the last word.  Who is

the arbitrator to decide if Dr. Cohen adequately addressed peoples'

concerns about his work?  Dr. Cohen decides whether or not someone's

explanation is plausible. Dr. Field offers great reviewers, Dr. Cohen

says I prefer a theoretical physicist that have no previous experience

in epidemiology studies.



Maury, I met Dr. Field at Oxford a few years ago now. He is without

question one of the most caring people that I have ever met. I have

heard he works endless hours for the needy, environmentally

disadvantaged, and works to help prevent the effects of smoking.  Even

his community of science site



http://expertise.cos.com/cgi-bin/exp.cgi?id=323385



lets people know that they can contact him for pro bono work.  You

should try to get to know someone better before you judge them.



Perhaps this can be one of the lists new slogans? Only list members

that perform, act, and post in perfection can criticize others like

Maury did.



At the same meeting where I met Dr. Field, I also met Alice Stewart

(the woman who knew too much), she was talking to him and latter said

to me that he was one of the few people she could not tell what their

political persuasion was.  But, she said if someone were on a review

committee to review a grant, I would want it to be him.  He cares

immensely about people and is panoptic.  I heard similar comments that

night not just from anti nukes but also from very pro nuclear people.

Perhaps we all should take more of a panoptic view.



Radsafers should be grateful that, in my humble opinion, one of the

premier radiation/environmental epidemiologists in the United States

would take the time to post to this list.  I have learned more

epidemiology from Dr. Field then I could have possibly ever learned in

several courses.  From his community of science page I see he has been

an associate editor for 3 different journals, including a frequent

guest editor for the Health Physics journal. How many epidemiologists

do you know have also worked in the trenches (actually Berkely may not

really be the trenches) as a Health Physicist?  He is a valuable

resource that we should not reject.  Nor should we ever forget all the

fine work Dr. Cohen did in the past.



We should take the time to thank Dr. Cohen for his many years of

research in this field.  I think we can all learn much from these two

scientists.  I can not imagine two scientists carrying on such a long

term debate, while keeping the hostility between them to a minimum.



If you have a chance today, also take a minute to email Dr. Field

(especially after Maury's tirade) directly at epirad@mchsi.com, and

thank him for taking the time to answer our questions and for his many

years of research in radon epidemiology.  I personally have thanked

him for his documentation that radon is generated within water

distribution systems and is often many orders higher than point of

entry into the distribution system.   He gets so many off the wall

questions and comments that I am amazed he takes the time to try to

answer all of them - I am still thinking about the little green

martian example.



Don't listen to Maury - Dr. Field, but do try to establish another

list so we can get back to the more applied issues that most people

lurk for on this list.



Sincerely, Gary Howard



Nilikuonyesha nyota (mwezi) na uliangalia kidole tu.

_______________________________________________________________________

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