AW: RE: AW: [ RadSafe ] DNA Damage and Oxydative Processes

[Rainer.Facius at dlr.de]

John:

 

Having been a 'believer' (in my field of space radiation it did not really matter) in the LNT postulate for more than 30 years of the 35 years of my occupation with radiation, I wonder whether you fully appreciate the implications of your 'recommendation': 

 

<I assume you would agree that those who are against the LNT might not be the best judges of BEIR VII.> 

 

Adherence to such a principle essentially would spell the cessation of scientific progress. Please try to imagine the stage science would have got bogged down at, if only 

 

(i) Ptolemynians were entitled to dispute Ptolemynian celestial mechanics, 

(ii) only adepts of phlogiston theory were properly authorised to challenge phlogiston theory,

(iii) only stalwarts of the electromagnetic ether were competent to check out ether theory,

(iv) only vitalists were qualified to scrutinise vitalism

(v) only materialist were sufficiently versed to contest materialism.

 

You might also wish to find out by yourself the political implications associated with the question whether or not the LNT postulate does hold. For the large majority of the BEIR VII members (those which I kind of 'know') I am inclined to rule out any conscious pursuit of a personal political agenda. Yet, if you care to check the skirmishes going along with its commissioning you would agree that you need not malicious intent to imagine the political pressures accompanying BEIR-VII's proceedings.

 

Regards, Rainer

 

________________________________

Von: John Jacobus [mailto:crispy_bird at yahoo.com]
Gesendet: So 10.07.2005 05:49
An: Muckerheide, James; Facius, Rainer; jjcohen at prodigy.net; goldinem at songs.sce.com; radsafe at radlab.nl
Betreff: RE: AW: [ RadSafe ] DNA Damage and Oxydative Processes

Jim,
I certainly agree that all of the data needs to be
looked at, but I think those have a political agenda
should not be doing it. I assume you would agree that
those who are against the LNT might not be the best
judges of BEIR VII.