Re: The Ethics Issue Continu

["Mike Bohan" <mike.bohan@yale.edu>]

        Reply to:   RE>The Ethics Issue Continued

Hey Al,

Great idea in theory, but I would ask WHO determines the percentages, the
advocacy group (Why everyone thinks our way, we're so understanding and
compassionate!), the news media (They're into polls, but I don't think they're
going to foot the bill to kill their own spectacle stories of madness and
mayhem!) or the scientific societies (We're too busy and high-minded to soil
ourselves in these tawdry affairs and besides the fact, that we can't achieve a
consensus on anything, that's the whole point of science anyway!).

Just a mischievous twist,

=[8*)
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Michael J. Bohan, RSO   |  e-mail: mike.bohan@yale.edu
Yale-New Haven Hospital |    Tele: (203) 785-2950
Radiological Physics    |     FAX: (203) 737-4252
20 York St. - WWW 204   |    As usual, everything I say may be plausibly
New Haven, CT    06504  |    denied at my employer's convenience ...
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--------------------------------------
Date: 01/07/96 11:20 AM
To: Mike Bohan
From: radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
With respect to providing information to the public about the effects of low
levels of radiation, the American Council on Science and Health Special
Report on Nutrition Accuracy in Popular Magazines (1992-1994) sparked a
thought that we might wish to use.  That document contains the statement "As
judge Manfred Kroger remarked, 'The public should always be informed that
the proportion of the scientific community these groups actually represent
is nominal.'"  The judge is talking about advocacy groups.
It would seem to me a good thing if, whenever an advocate for a particular
group states a position, that someone ask the question: "What percent of the
scientific community holds that position?"  The public would benefit from
the answer in many cases.  What does the RADSAFE community think of such an
idea?  Al Tschaeche xat@inel.gov
Al  Tschaeche xat@inel.gov phone: 208-526-3383, fax: 208-526-7291