RE: Choice of radiation units to use

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@earthlink.net>]

Ruth Weiner stated:

> I cannot see where historical units of radioactivity would be any more
> familiar, except to a long-term professional in the field, than SI units,
> and a long-term professional ought to be professional enough that
> familiarity, whatever that is, shouldn't matter.  Certainly rems were not as
> familiar to any of my students as quarts, so if going  to metric volume
> units poses no problem, why should going to SI units pose a problem?

While I can not argue Ruth's point, there is still a fallacy 
contained within. Granted, when one "initially" learns a system, be 
it science or gardening techniques, that is what they learn. It is 
the first thing they learn, and most will comprehend. The primary 
issue of conversion to SI units is not for those who are now entering 
the field, but what impact on the hundreds of thousands who are 
already "in the field". 

I see this argument along the following party line (and I mean no 
disrespect to anyone if you believe I've mis-categorized you). It's 
an issue of the theoreticians and scientists who perform  research or 
teach. This group tends to be in favor of conversion. Then I see the 
other side, in which I include myself. I call us the "performers". 
We're the ones who have to manage large scale programs, dealing with 
hundreds of staff who are out there doing the work, turing the screws 
for example. We're the ones who deal with the day to day tasks of 
getting the job done, and hope to hell that the staff understands 
what doses they are exposed to, and don't exceed an administrative 
guideline, pre-planned dose limit and worse yet, exceed a regulatory 
limit. 

In conclusion, it's easy for one to say let's change, keep in stride 
with everyone else, when you don't have to deal with the serious 
consequences. It may be science in the end, but it's ultimately comes 
down to getting the job done. And that we are doing perfectly well in 
the traditional units today, and hopefully tomorrow, when common 
sense prevails.



Sandy Perle
E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net 
Personal Website: http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/1205

"The object of opening the mind, as of opening 
the mouth, is to close it again on something solid"
              - G. K. Chesterton -
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