Re: Radon and lung cancer

[Bernard L Cohen <blc+@pitt.edu>]

On Mon, 2 Mar 1998, R. William Field wrote:

> at 11:36 AM 3/2/98 -0600, Cohen wrote:
> >	All I ask is that someone offer a not implausible possible
> >explanation for my data that is consistent with LNT. Is that asking too
> >much? I have offered a sizable monetary reward, and this would settle an
> >issue that is bothering a lot of scientists. I am quite sure it would be
> >publishable. It seems to me that, in the absence of such an explanation,
> >it is reasonable to conclude that the linear-no threshold theory fails in
> >the low dose region.
> 
> Field Response --  
> 
> While the LNTT may possibly fail in the low dose region, I fail to see why
> it is reasonable to conclude that the LNTT fails in the low dose region
> from your data alone.  I think based on your data, you can hypothesize that
> it fails, but that is much different than concluding or proving that it fails.

Cohen response:
	-It is a basic principle of "The Scientific Method" that if data
exist that cannot be plausibly explained by the theory, the theory fails.
If you don't agree with this statement, please say so, and I will expound
further.



Bernard L. Cohen
Physics Dept.
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Tel: (412)624-9245
Fax: (412)624-9163
e-mail: blc+@pitt.edu