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  1. Xref: sparky misc.consumers:15734 sci.environment:10905 talk.environment:3422
  2. Newsgroups: misc.consumers,sci.environment,talk.environment
  3. Path: sparky!uunet!paladin.american.edu!darwin.sura.net!rsg1.er.usgs.gov!ornl!ORNL.GOV!de5
  4. From: de5@ORNL.GOV (Dave Sill)
  5. Subject: Re: Radioactivity and Superstition; was: Re: Are Your Light Bulbs Radioactive?
  6. Message-ID: <1992Aug27.125633.3757@ornl.gov>
  7. Sender: usenet@ornl.gov (News poster)
  8. Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab, Oak Ridge, TN
  9. References: <1992Aug26.192043.24001@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> <1992Aug26.195524.25813@athena.cs.uga.edu> <l9ns6oINNmol@utkcs2.cs.utk.edu> <1992Aug26.230055.28405@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>
  10. Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 12:56:33 GMT
  11. Lines: 22
  12.  
  13. In article <1992Aug26.230055.28405@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>, crb7q@kelvin.seas.Virginia.EDU (Cameron Randale Bass) writes:
  14. >Dave Sill wrote:
  15. >>They *are* different.  You can't see, smell, taste, hear, or feel
  16. >>radioactivity.  This isn't true of most physical phenomena people deal with,
  17. >>including chemicals and electricity.  It's hardly surprising that it's treated
  18. >>differently.
  19. >
  20. >    No different than toadstools as far as injestion goes.  In fact,
  21. >    some of *them* taste pretty good.  This issue is only treated differently
  22. >    because of blind hysteria rather than an evaluation of the true risks.
  23.  
  24. Some chemical threats exhibit some of the properties of nuclear threats.  That
  25. doesn't mean the two should be treated with the same level of caution.  The
  26. "blind hysteria" you refer to stems from a lack information, understanding, and
  27. experience with nuclear processes compared to the more tradtional threats of
  28. electrical, mechanical, biological, and chemical processes.  Responding
  29. hysterically won't help.  I suggest calm, polite presentation of the facts. 
  30.  
  31. -- 
  32. Dave Sill (de5@ornl.gov)       For every Bill Joy there is a Kirk McKusick.
  33. Martin Marietta Energy Systems     For every Bill Gates there is a Richard
  34. Workstation Support                Stallman.                     --Paul Graham
  35.