Re: Need latest BEIR factoid

[carol marcus <csmarcus@ucla.edu>]

At 08:30 AM 12/22/98 -0600, you wrote:
>Radsafers:
>
>Back in the 1980 BEIR report, there was a very nice summary sentence that
>said something like:
>
>In a population of 1 million, each given 1 rem, there would be an expected
>160 - 450 additional cancers.
>
>What is the latest version of this? For those with education
>responsibilities, what are you using/doing to describe radiation risks to
>students?
>
>Thanks!
>Jeff
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>----------------
>Jeffrey Leavey
>leaveyja@us.ibm.com
>X-ray Lithography Program
>IBM Corp.
>(914) 892-4595       FAX     - 6043                East Fishkill, NY 12533
>
>
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>Dear Jeffrey Leavey:

I have thought about the problem of teaching "party line" LNT vs. hormesis,
and I teach both.  Many of my students have to pass tests with questions
written by scientists and regulators who regard LNT as a religious
experience, and dogma essential to their jobs.  The students have to pass
those tests, and I teach them how to do so.  Then I teach hormesis and
threshhold concepts, and why I find these ideas more convincing.  Then I
teach about the problem with paradigm shifts in general, and radiation
paradigms in particular.  Then I tell them to keep their minds open and
think hard.  

Usually, someone brings up the fact that federal radiation regulations don't
seem to be based on good science, even if one ACCEPTS LNT, and I point out
that that is indeed the case.  NRC's medical regulations are illogical,
inconsistent, and completely devoid of any scientific underpinning.  It's
just arbitrary and capricious self-serving junk.  I don't discriminate,
though---I trash EPA as well, and then demolish one of FDA's Centers, CDER.
When my students understand that these regulators lie outside of any
scientifically rational behavior, they then start thinking sensibly.  It's
kind of like teaching genetics in Russia in the era of Lysenko.

Ciao, Carol

Carol S. Marcus, Ph.D., M.D.
<csmarcus@ucla.edu>

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