[ RadSafe ] NAS "impartiality"

[jjcohen at prodigy.net]

Is anyone familiar with how the National Academy of Science (NAS) selects members for its study panels? It seems to me that by judicious selection of members, almost any predetermined conclusion can be attained. The expert committees can reference or ignore any material they choose. They typically compile a massive volume summarizing what they have chosen to review and formulate conclusions supposedly based upon their review. Maybe I just don't get it, but from the few NAS studies I have attempted to understand, it was almost impossible to track how the conclusions were reached from the material reviewed. I suspect the whole process is largely arbitrary, but perhaps someone can straighten me out.
Jerry Cohen