RE: Activity and Dose Analogies

["Jim Blute" <jblute@NITON.com>]

Mike,



I like this.  I have used guns and bullets as an analogy often for the same purpose and have often received comments that this might be too harsh and scary an analogy.  I must admit I agree.  The boxer is still a bit violent but less associated with death than a gun.  Yet still something everyone is familiar with.



I am sure there must be better than that still.  Something less violent but still physically comparable.



Thanks for the post Mike.



Any other good analogies out there?



-----Original Message-----

From: owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu

[mailto:owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu]On Behalf Of Stabin, Michael

Sent: Wednesday, December 29, 2004 6:52 AM

To: radsafe

Subject: BBC analogies







This showed up in a technical report I was reading. No reference was

given. I just thought it was interesting.



The British Broadcasting Company (BBC) has provided an illustrative

boxing analogy to contrast what is intended by the three international

radiation measures.  It depicts, for the public, the qualitative

differences between Bq, Gy and Sv as:



Bq: " a measure of how many punches are thrown without regard to whether

they are roundhouses, hooks, jabs, or even if they connect at all."



Gy: "a unit that measures whether the punch is a strong uppercut or just

a little jab. However, the gray wouldn't show the cumulative effect of

something like 100 jabs to the exact same spot on the cheekbone versus

one hard punch to the solar plexus"



Sv: "useful in determining the likelihood that (the boxer) might suffer

some long-term damage as a result of this pummeling." "In short, a Sv is

the most useful but complicated and subjective unit for measuring

radiation effects on people."





Mike





Michael G. Stabin, PhD, CHP

Assistant Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences

Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences

Vanderbilt University

1161 21st Avenue South

Nashville, TN 37232-2675

Phone (615) 343-0068

Fax   (615) 322-3764

Pager (615) 835-5153

e-mail     michael.g.stabin@vanderbilt.edu

internet   www.doseinfo-radar.com





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