Re[2]: Plutonium and other nasties

[Christopher_Wend@bedison.com]

Well said, Bernadette. We all know it's a busy, "sound bite" world. That, and 
the the nature of this forum, lead most of us to form "instant working 
assumptions" that lead to quick "instant answers" so that we may "claim victory"
and move on. I am among the many guilty of this. A little more time and effort 
will enhance our already valuable interchange. "Good" communication requires a 
constant effort. With this thought I will transfer to a related, current 
subject: Charlie Willis. I believe Charlie's postings were so widely read and 
respected, not only due to Charlie's knowledge, but his continuos effort to 
communicate and clarify, 

Goodbye and God Bless you, Charlie. And thanks. I hope/request that Charlie's 
NRC compatriots convey the HP communitie's condolences to Charlie's family and 
personal friends. And ensure they really know the high regard in which Charlie 
was held by his fellow professionals. It's not much. But I think it's important.

Chris Wend
christopher_wend@bedison.com.

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: Plutonium and other nasties
Author:  "Bernadette Baca" <Bernadette.Baca@tdh.state.tx.us> at Internet
Date:    1/28/99 3:04 PM


I'd like to further emphasized Ron Katherine's response.  We need to 
clearly understand the question being asked and to know the audience 
for the response.
     
Many of us in the field could argue til we're blue and even purple 
plaid in the face about which stance is correct; which scenario 
is plausible and which is not; which statistics are conclusive and 
relevant and which are not.  The question an individual may be asking 
may not necessarily be the first one asked.  It should then be our 
"duty" to ask additional questions to figure out as precisely as we 
can what is being questioned or asked.  It's like the old response 
from our guiding parents and grandparents - "Think before you answer". 
 And with the added benefit of asking more questions, it will help us 
to better figure out what and how we're going to respond.  Wait, those 
are the guiding principles of forming a hypothesis and proving/testing 
it, right?  Ask a question, then ask a few more til soon an answer is 
proven or shown?
     
We've advanced so greatly in recent years, we need to be aware that 
others are not as inept to understanding our field.  Sometimes 
we even forget things and just need a simple reminder (age has a 
tendency to do that).  The main issue, though, is to know exactly 
what is being asked and to whom the response is going to.  If that 
means asking ten more questions, so be it.  That just means the 
answer will be more precise and better understood by the individual 
asking the question.  And more than likely without passing out from 
turning blue or even purple plaid.
     
With so many "misunderstandings" in our field and the general public 
being "mislead" (and that goes well beyond just our field), don't you 
think it's time for us to slow down and figure out where these 
misunderstandings are and how to better keep from misleading 
individuals?  What a better way to start than asking more from the 
individual posing his/her question?  Find out just what "they" know 
and what world they come from.  It'll make explaining so much easier 
and hopefully begin reducing the misunderstandings.  It will, 
hopefully, also help to keep them from being mislead by 
actually answering the "root" question they've asked.
     
To me it all sounds so simple.  Just think before answering and maybe 
asking a few more questions in order to best respond to that 
individual?  Technology and knowledge can be a great thing if 
explained well, but terrifying to others when it is not.
     
Well, I think that has helped relieve the bur under my saddle.
     
Bernadette Baca
     
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
TDH - Bureau of Radiation Control     
Uranium Licensing Project
1100 West 49th
Austin, TX 78756 - 3189
(512) 834 - 6688  ext: 2206
     
http://www.tdh.state.tx.us/ech/rad/pages/brc.htm 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-My supervisor has not read or approved this message, much less agrees 
with my point of view.  Therefore, use at your own risk and humor.
     
mailto:Bernadette.Baca@tdh.state.tx.us 
mailto:bbaca@netscape.net
     
"Beneath this chaos is a really big mess." - Jim Davis 
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