Re: Linear Hypothesis... -Reply

["Frank "Free Spirit" Borger" <frank@rover.bsd.uchicago.edu>]

> From:          JMUCKERHEIDE@delphi.com
> To:            Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
> Subject:       Re: Linear Hypothesis... -Reply

> Sorry Harvey, the public is smarter than you give them credit for. 
> > 
> > Educate the public about LNT, low level radiation hormesis....Think you'd
> > better start by campaigning to have all those good old B grade Sci-Fi
> > flicks from the 50s and 60s pulled from Saturday morning T.V.  After all
> > any 10 year old can tell you what made Bill Bixby the big green
> > incredible one.  And they won't answer steroids.  It's a cultural thing at
> > this point, revamping LNT is not going to change the publics perception.

	The public knows that radiation didn't make Bill Bixby into the
	Hulk, but it doesn't know about more complex issues, such as
	good epidemiology and statistics.

	The classic case was demonstrated in a PBS special that
	showed some really involved  people doing "kitchen table
	epidemiology," and plotting anecdotal charts of higher cancer
	incidence around their particular "hazzard." 

	That's a hard thing to teach the layperson. Heck, even a lot of
	well-educated people in this field could gain a lot  from a good
	introductory course in statistics.