Texas & Kentucky- You Have A Problem

Creationists with influential science textbook review positions.

Not quite as bad in Kentucky perhaps.

TEPCO Is Profitable

Amazing.

When Would Global Warming Destroy Life On Earth?

Not in your lifetime.

The Naked Mole Rat's Anti-Cancer Secret

They've evolved a high molecular mass form of hyaluronan.  This is hypothesized to prevent cells from forming tumors.  In humans, hyaluronan and related molecules are thought to aid cancer metastasis:

Abbreviations:

HA - hyaluronic acid, a synonym for hyaluronan
HAS - hyaluronic acid synthase, makes HA
HAR - hyaluronic acid receptor
HAase/HYAL - hyaluronidase, enzyme that degrades the extracellular matrix

The ELF

Very cool:

From Darwinist To Climatist

These are denigrating terms used to mock science.

"The temperature on Mars is going up and we don't have any SUV's on Mars"

Only 0.00003% Of Things That Happen Actually Matter

So enjoy life!

New U.S. EPA Chief Takes On Critics

Republicans essentially.

Beach Near Fukushima

Nakoso Beach is symbol of normalcy.

Black Metal & Solar Energy

More efficient photovoltaics.

Radio Waves & Climate Change

Interesting connection.

Greenland Ice Sheet

"Starting to slip"....this is not cool:

The Neuro-physiology Of Religious Belief

With psychiatrist Dr. Andy Thomson.

The talk is particularly interesting because it's sponsored by the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies.

Facts don't seem to phase people with religious beliefs.

TEPCO Ordered To Drain Contaminated H2O

Someone needs to step up the resources and get things under control.

This Mann Is Good

Michael Mann, climatologist, discusses climate change and the propaganda war against the science.

Quakes Help Release CH4

And CH4 is a potent greenhouse gas.

I Wish I Had Access To This Article P2

Not too long ago I wrote Part 1 (not knowing there would be a Part 2), having stumbled upon what seemed to be an interesting paper.

Well, having looked up that last study on cell phones, I stumbled some more.

And found this.

I didn't realize Calabrese had retaliated against Shrader-Frechette.

That explains why she shines the light on him so frequently in her papers.

I wonder in what way(s) did Calabrese retaliate.

Cell Phones & Cancer

A link between the two has been studied quite a bit usually with no causal link established.

This study suggests there may be a link, but it's far from conclusive.

The actual study goes back to January, I'm not sure why Medical Press just picked it up.

Redefining Cancer

In order to minimize overdiagnosis and overtreatment.

Fukushima Inspires TVA

To test new emergency notification system.

Radiation "Test Run" Predictor Of Lymphoma Treatment

In non-Hodgkin lymphoma, seeing how much radiation is absorbed by cancer cells (especially above 200 cGy during screening, gives us insight into treatment outcomes.

Congrats Cumulus Media!

For dumping Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.

Those morons have the biggest talk radio shows in the country.

What kinds of things do they say?

New Jersey Radiation Underdose

It may seem odd that radiation underdoses (>20%) are reportable to the U.S. NRC.  Here's a recent report:

"At 11:30 a.m. [EDT] on July 16, 2013, a patient was being treated for three lesions with an Elekta Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion unit, serial number 6016, at Cooper Health System in Camden, New Jersey. The prescribed total dose for all three lesions was 58 Gray.

"The first two lesions were treated as planned without incident.

"During treatment of the third lesion, treatment was interrupted because of mechanical failure. A 'Sensor Failure' error occurred, which caused the patient couch to retract and the shielding doors to close. An Elekta service engineer was called and no other treatments were attempted after the 'Sensor Failure'. Treatment of the third lesion was to be re-scheduled.

"It is estimated that only 44.8 Gray out of the prescribed dose of 58 Gray was actually delivered, which is an underdose of greater than 20%."

Florida - Congrats

For jailing a psychic on grand theft and extortion charges.

Britain, pay attention.

Britain - You Have A Problem

Doctors prescribing acupuncture.

In Which I Share An Urge To Strangle

Biologist PZ Myers has a post on observational and historical science regarding biology and the silliness of creationists.

One entire field of science, cosmology, relies entirely on scientific inference.  We observe some stuff and infer its central theory, the Big Bang theory.  Nobody was there at the Big Bang.  We can't replicate the Big Bang in a laboratory.  Yet, the scientific consensus is that the origins of our Universe are explained by the Big Bang.

Apparently the Big Bang theory doesn't impact too many people's ideology.  There aren't a bunch of op-eds, books, blogs, etc. denouncing the Big Bang.  That's probably because it seems to coincide with various interpretations of religious texts.

Health physics, in the low dose radiation range, is also inferential.  We can't see the radiation cause cancer. We have to use logical inference combining facts of epidemiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, etc. in order to develop the central theory of Linear, No-Threshold dose response (LNT).

Unlike the Big Bang, LNT does seem to impact some folks' ideology.  And that leads to pseudo-science propaganda.

Which gives me an urge to strangle, which I suppress every time, though:  I just tell myself it's not their fault their brains were poisoned by nuclear power deification or demonization.

William J. Guste Jr. Dies

Who?

Nuclear Power Tidbits

Life without San Onofre is discussed here.

The Ginna plant shuts down.

Small fire at Callaway plant.

Safer fuel rods with silicon carbide cladding.

Rock Steady

Burying CO2 in basalt formations.

Music please, Maestro:

"Fevered"

"Fevered - Why A Hotter Planet Will Ruin Our Health And How We Can Save Ourselves" is a book by Linda Marsa due out next month.

Five Hours Around Fukushima

Distilled to about 7 minutes courtesy of PBS:

Legends, Hoaxes, Frauds and Frauds Of Science

With retiring National Center For Science Education Executive Director Genie Scott:

I'm In Awe

Of this awesome Texas family.

Atomic Ideologies Promotes Galen Winsor

Rod Adams's blog, Atomic Ideologies Insights is actually promoting the late Galen Winsor.

HA! HA! I mentioned Winsor last year as the first health physics denier I had encountered.

Oh, and did you know health physicists are rats?!?:

High Activity H2O At Fukushima

From a trench near #2 reactor turbine building.

The WiFi Sensitivity Delusion

Or hypochondria.

The Heartburn Institute Cherrypicks

Their climate change denier-in-chief picks a particular NOAA study that says that the 2012 U.S. heat wave was mostly natural.

That's true.  He quoted from the study's abstract.

But here's what the study (starting at line 451) says:

"Overall, our results indicate that the extreme magnitude of the March 2012 temperature
 anomalies can be largely explained by natural variability, with an additional contribution from a long-term warming trend of approximately 1C that is likely due mostly to human influences."

Well, Well P2

George P. Mitchell, the father of fracking (in the Barnett Shale no less), has died.

Well, Well

Well water contaminants highest near natural gas drilling.

I Wish I Had Access To This Article

It's from about a year ago, but I hadn't seen it until today:

Research Integrity and Conflicts of Interest: The Case of Unethical Research-Misconduct Charges Filed by Edward Calabrese

Abstract

Special-interest polluters often file research-misconduct (RM) charges against scientists whose research suggests needed pollutant regulation. This article argues that U.S. RM regulations are flawed in requiring RM assessors/experts/accused, but not accusers, to reveal possible conflicts of interest (COI) that could affect RM allegations. It (1) summarizes U.S. RM regulatory history; (2) uses a case study about 2011 RM allegations, filed by chemical-industry-funded toxicologist Edward Calabrese, to illustrate problems with RM regulations; and (3) offers 4 arguments in favor of revising RM regulations so as to require RM-accuser revelation of possible COI and who funded preparation of the RM allegations.

TEPCO Gets A Spanking

From the independent Nuclear Reform Monitoring Committee (that's Dale Klein, Chairman formerly Chairman of the U.S. NRC):

Here's more.

Majority Of Fukushima Decon Companies

Are in violation of labor laws.

N. Carolina - You Have A Problem

It shouldn't take a judge to tell you.

You Go Mann!

DC Court affirms climatologist Michael Mann's right to proceed in defamation lawsuit against the Competitive Enterprise Institute & National Review Online.

DU At Miami-Area Airport

Some aircraft use depleted uranium (DU) as a trim weight.

Some aircraft get disassembled.

Um, No

Radiation is not one of the biggest threats to the modern era.

What people will say to sell books, is scary, though.

Richard Dawkins & Herb Silverman

Dawkins is a biologist and Silverman is a mathematician and they discuss evolution, religion and such.  An engaging conversation and I'm glad to see so many people in attendance.  If you want to skip the intro go to 9:00:

Alabama - You Have A Problem

At least one guy gets it.

If God Came Back

Argillaceous

Is the word of the day and it means clay-like or clay-rich.

Do argillaceous formations make sense for high level radioactive waste disposal?

Costs Of Melting Arctic Ice

Though there are many uncertainties, it's pretty certain it won't be inexpensive.

Sulforaphane

Is a compound found in broccoli which is being tested as a sunscreen.

Detecting Brain Tumors By Analyzing Cerebrospinal Fluid

Avoiding invasive neurosurgery.

Pope: Do As I Say, Not As I Do

In urging Catholics to resist money, pleasure and power.

Have you ever seen the Vatican?

Fracking & Radioactive Socks

Forbes blogger Jeff McMahon finds them strange, but it's really expected if you understand the processes.

P.S. I find this strange:

"North Dakota prohibits disposal of waste that emits more than 5 picocuries per gram of radiation. Filter socks tested by a Williston, ND landfill operator were found to emit up to 47 pico curies per gram, the Sun reported."

"emits" should be "contains".  Waste doesn't emit pCi/g, it contains pCi/g and the pCi's emit radiation.

New Low Rn Measurement Facility

In Germany.

Fukushima Cleanup Estimate $58B

Recall yesterday's post on Naked America which tried to lead people to believe the estimate was around $250B? Not quite.

James Hansen On Nuclear Power

From the pro-nuclear power documentary, Pandora's Promise.

Here's John McLaughry's op-ed in a Vermont newspaper with a similar opinion.  McLaughry is with the Ethan Allen Institute, a state level free market group.

Daniel Wilson Loved His Nuke Plant

And has been criminally charged for misconduct and making false statements.

Air Pollution LNT

Thanks to suspended particles from combustion and other sources.

The American Lung Association has more.

Naked America: Paying For Nuclear Damage

Here's an anti-nuclear propaganda film dressed as a documentary:

Scientific Proof Of God

If you call psycho-babble proof of god, then here it is.

This is Gerald Schroeder, PhD (nuclear physics & earth & planetary sciences from MIT) who once worked for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission:

MIT should be cringing.

Unstoppable Idiot

Kirk Cameron's new movie, "Unstoppable", seems to only be showing one day in theaters and then it stops:

Nukey Poo

Was the nickname of the small Navy reactor located at Antarctica's McMurdo Sound.

Federal hearings begin today on the likelihood of leaks from the reactor causing excess cancers among people who served there.

Here's the agenda.

Book An Idiot

Want to pay an idiot to promote science denial?

Look no further.

IDiot Party

August 10.

Warming Oceans Stalling Atmospheric Temp Increases

And that is fodder for climate change deniers.

We're Doing Better, But Not Good Enough

Stats on evolution acceptance in the U.S.

Home Sweet Home

As seen from Saturn.

Manhattan Institute "Expert" Isn't

On climate change.  On climate change denial propaganda, not so bad.

Radiation = Jesus

According to one Connie Lewis and others like her (who equate medical treatment with deity intervention).

And her radiologist is also a Christian!

MelaFind Controversy

MelaFind is supposed to help physicians find melanomas. but it finds many false positives too.

P.S. In the UK, melanoma survival has skyrocketed to about 80% compared with about 50% in the 1970's.

Climate Change - These Nerds Are Paying Attention

All of the details behind climate change can get pretty scientifically nerdy.

But there are other nerds paying attention like the World Bank and the U.S. CIA.

It's much better to be a nerd of any stripe than to be a moron.

"Everything I know about the weather or climate I learned from you Steve":

Intelligent Design

Is for cherry-picking IDiots:

Fukushima Steam & Cecil Kelley

While thinking about Fukushima's baffling steam, I recalled the Cecil Kelley criticality accident and the tea leaf paradox.  In that accident, a near critical mixture went critical upon mixing.  Maybe some physical process like that happened at Fukushima to cause water to heat to steam.

Beyond that, the Kelley accident is its own interesting mystery....why was there so much plutonium in the mixing tank?

Makes for good reading on a slow weekend.

Cleaning Up Hanford's 300 Area

Where nuclear fuel was made:

Fukushima's Baffling Steam

Seems to have stopped, but TEPCO can't explain what's going on.

Music please, Maestro:

Did Rad Exposure Cause Parkinson's?

We know that radiation results in brain degeneration.  And Parkinson's is brain degeneration in a particular area called the substania nigra.

So could Dan Hott's Parkinson's disease have been caused by his 1970's radiation exposure?

His neurologist thinks so.

The VA doesn't.
-------------------------------
I wish the article had provided the actual radiation dose.

"....perhaps the greatest amount ever any American has received."

Does that mean received and survived?  Or truly received whether the person survived or not?

A Couple Of Like-Minded Blogs

Creationists are wrong.  But they can't hear you.  Their bias causes a mental block.

How Creationists think about cancer.  The blogger initially got it wrong, but corrected himself.  Creationists typically do believe in genetic mutations and they typically believe in microevolution (canines can evolve into other canines, but not another species, which they call macroevolution).

In my webpage (see upper right hand side of this page) "Comparing The Creationist & Hormesis Cults", I pointed this out.

On the flip side are the radiation hormesis propagandists who believe in macrocarcinogenesis (I just made that up!) - that large radiation doses can mutate DNA.  But they don't believe in microcarcinogenesis (I just made that up too!) - that a single photon can mutate DNA thereby increasing cancer risk.

Like Creationists, hormies (or hormesists?) are wrong.

I Missed Those "Scientific" Meetings

Last month's left wing Radiation & Public Health Project annual meeting with radiation experts Christie Brinkley and Alec Baldwin.    The RPHP fear mongers radiation health effects.

This month's right wing Doctors For Disaster Preparedness annual meeting, which didn't address radiation health effects, though they normally do.  The DFDP doubt mongers radiation health effects as well climate change.

This Led To That

This study in the July issue of Radiation Research Journal (which I don't have access to) led me to find this seemingly similar one.

Let me just tease out a bit from the conclusion:

"However at lower environmental levels of radiation exposure (1–5 mGy) one prompt DSB is induced on average per 20–100 cells. Based on the 4–8 times higher yields of non-DSB clustered DNA damage/Gy as compared with that of DSB/Gy it is postulated that one non-DSB clustered DNA damage is induced on average per 5–20 cells."

And that's why my previous post (on a possible threshold) leads me to conclude someone is ignoring the evidence.

Possible Threshold For Radiation Induced Cancer

According to "some doctors".  HA! HA!

Obviously, the author doesn't understand Linear No Threshold Theory.

As in NO THRESHOLD!

The workers who received <100 mSv are still at risk, but the risk is low.

Chernobyl 2013

If you wanted a look (thanks to Bionerd23).  Recall the accident occurred at reactor 4:

Don't Forget About O3

When it's hot, ozone also rises as plants reduce their uptake while fighting heat stress.

The Pale Blue Dot P2

The Pale Blue Dot refers to a photograph of Earth taken by the Voyager 1 spacecraft as it orbited Saturn.

Today, the Cassini spacecraft will repeat the task.  Celebrate it!

Here's the late Carl Sagan on the original photo:

Insurance Industry Smarter Than Climate Denier Caucus

They're the ones paying today from intensified storms.

"Senator David Vitter of Louisiana said the climate is always changing, and that solar flares, natural emissions of carbon dioxide or cosmic rays may be the cause of current weather patterns."

Climate Denier Caucus

Follow the money.

A Bit More On Fukushima Steam

Radiation levels are steady, so it seems unlikely that criticality is the cause of the steam.

Australia's Scientific Illiteracy

Nothing to be proud of.

How Cults Think

With ex-Moonie Diane Benscoter (hint: viral memetic infection):

Fukushima Steam?

That would indicate criticality.

The U.S. Navy's Seattle Radium Contamination

Becomes political.

U.S. Army's Fort Bliss Radioactivity P2

Here's a follow-up article.  What...are there no health physicists in Texas?

Health Physics Aweigh!

Remember those U.S. Navy sailors who were going to sue TEPCO over Fukushima?

Their numbers have grown!

"McCarthy’s views constitute...a threat to public health"

That would be Jenny McCarthy, anti-vaxxer.

She promotes vaccines cause autism, which they don't.

To the extent any parent believes her and doesn't vaccinate their child, that is a threat to public health.

Can Plants Get Cancer?

Not like animals do.

Silicon Microdosimeter

For use by pilots and astronauts primarily.

Merchants Of Doubt

Tobacco, ozone, global warming, radiation, etc....it's the same right wing hacks mongering doubt, so they prosper while others are harmed.  (It's typically left wing hacks mongering fear.)

I recommend the book.

U.S. Army's Fort Bliss Radioactivity

Is being investigated.

Psychology-Denier

John Rosemond was a psychologist, but now he's a columnist who gives out psychology-denial advice.

""I feel like psychology has created more problems for American children than we know how to count."

And of course he's anti-government (see a broad pattern among all science doubt-mongers and anti-government ideology?).

This is an interesting case of free speech versus medical malpractice.

I tend to think the public welfare trumps his free speech rights.

Indulgences? Really?

Back to the Middle Ages in the computer age.

IDiot Collection

From the same company that produced the Flight propaganda film (from earlier post today).  Now you can see some of the fowl foul folks promoting this nonsense:

Tide Is Turning Against Melanoma

It's a cancer with more mutations per cell then other cancers.

Flight: The Stupidity Of IDiots

Here's a trailer for an Intelligent Design (IDiots) propaganda film called, "Flight: The Genius Of Birds":

Looks like Clueless In Seattle is more appropriate than Sleepless In Seattle.

Cranial Irradiation Causes Brain Degeneration

Irreversible cognitive impairment.

No Commercial Radwaste To SRS

Citizen's Advisory Board voted against it.

Using Nuclear Science To Study Ocean Acidification

A New LNT-Denial Propaganda Book

You won't want to buy.

It looks like Parris regurgitates Calabrese's nonsense on Muller (no, I didn't buy the thing, I read what I could for free).

Parris is with the American Wood Preservers Institute so he's more "interested" in carcinogenic chemicals, not radiation.

Another member of the club!

A Scientific Revolution Delusion

A climatology denier and a health physics denier walk into a bar.

Okay, not a bar, but a room.

A room at the Cato Institute (anti-government regulation ideologues) from last March with climate change denier Patrick Michaels introducing  toxicology (& health physics) denier Edward Calabrese.

The topic is "A Looming Scientific Revolution In Environmental Regulation?"

The Power Of Large Numbers

Is demonstrated in this cohort study of Australians who received CT scans.

With more people in the exposed population, we get to discern excess cancers at lower and lower excess doses.  Here people with one scan received an average of 4.5 mSv.

The exposed cohort was around 680,000 roughly 3 times the Japanese a-bomb survivor exposed cohort.

Thanks to Conrad Mayhew for the link.

Heartburn Institute Spreading Climate Change Doubt

Based on a recent interview given by Hans von Storch.

von Storch is answering questions very straightforwardly.

But the Heartburn Institute's anti-science bullshit propaganda generator, James Taylor cherry picks the aspects of the interview which suit his agenda.

Reducing Radiation Damage Through Diet

Here's a good video (with sources hyperlinked) which provides evidence for the antioxidant properties of some foods.  If you look to the right hand side, you'll see Previous Videos which include other radiation health related topics.  Unfortunately, in the Fukushima video, he mentions the horrendous Mangano-Sherman propaganda "study".

Eat your veggies!

A Peek Inside Hanford's B Rx

Just a peek.

Radiation Detection For Nuclear Security Summer School

At PNNL.  Looks like fun!

Hanford Groundwater Cleanup

Their pump and treat system has gotten more efficient.

Energy Production Causes U.S. Earthquakes

Oh frack!

Anti-U Mining

Here's a Q&A (reads like a setup to me) on uranium mining in the U.S. from Scientific American magazine.

Rare protest in China.

Thousands Of Sv's To See Some Sort Of Radiation Syndrome

This video was uploaded last February, but I've just come across it.  The expert says that it takes thousands of Sieverts (Sv) to see some sort of radiation syndrome.  I think he confused Sv's with rem:

Don't Get Your Physics From The Bible

"Physicist" Bryan Fischer mangles the laws of thermodynamics:

It's the 1st Law that deals with matter and energy can't be destroyed.

It's the 2nd Law that deals with increasing entropy with thermal equilibrium.

Cs-137 Found In Lake Near Swiss Plant

How much?  You won't learn from reading the link!

Even Veterinarians Can Be Morons

Using acupuncture to treat "both the symptoms and causes of imbalances that occur within the pet's spirit, mind and body."

CNBC's Climatology Denial

Is summarized here.

Even the climate at Fox News has changed (a wee bit).

"Not Much Scientific Background" To LNT

So says physicist (and thorium reactor marketeer) David LeBlanc (starts at about 14:20 and goes to about 19:00) from a few months ago:

Climate Change LNT

 "But the concept of a safe threshold is a myth and tends to distract attention from evidence that we are already seeing widespread and consequential impacts of climate change."

                                                                  Chris Field
                                          Canegie Institution's Department of Global Ecology
                                                           

This is because each molecule of CO2 traps a small amount of infrared radiation.  We can't measure the temperature increase from each molecule, we're not that good, but eventually we can.  By then, the excess CO2 will affect other systems in observable ways, besides just our thermometers.  That's where we are currently at.

Each molecule of CO2 absorbs a small amount of infrared radiation because of CO2's quantum vibrational energy absorption spectrum.  The energy of infrared radiation absorbed by CO2 molecular vibrations is almost exactly at the peak of the Earth's black body spectrum (667/cm, where the units are in terms of wavenumber).

When Space Weather Attacks!

It could be devastating.

Why Do People Sunbathe?

When they know it increases their skin cancer risk?

The Expert Who Isn't?

Here's an article about a judge who wouldn't allow a radiation health expert's testimony in a lawsuit from Apollo, PA.  The suit alleges increased cancer and other illnesses from a nuclear fuel plant.

The article states:

"Judge Mitchell wrote: “At the hearing, Dr. Melius (called by Defendants as a hostile witness) testified that, although all Americans are exposed to hundreds of millirems of ionizing radiation every day, adding up to thousands of millirems over the years, he believes Plaintiffs received ‘substantially' more than background radiation, yet he could not quantify this amount.""

If the reporter and the judge are accurate, then Dr. Melius isn't.

All Americans are NOT exposed to hundreds of millirems everyday!

Thank You NCRP!

Last year, the National Council On Radiation Protection & Measurements published their Report 171, "Uncertainties in the Estimation of Radiation Risks and Probability of Disease Causation ".

If you're interested in the topic, but don't want to shell out $155 (I did), then you can view a free summary of the report.

What could make better weekend reading?

Wind Farm Off Fukushima

I had a post on this last month.  But video is always nice:

Radwaste Sent From PA To ID

TENORM.

Can CT Scans Give You Cancer?

Here's a doubt-mongering article which asks the question in Salon.

And contrary to the line under the headline, the benefits will outweigh the risks if the medical staff has made proper considerations.  In other words, what a gross generalization that line is.

Let's ask these questions:

Do CT scans emit ionizing radiation?  Answer:  Yes.

Does ionizing radiation damage DNA?  Answer: Yes.

Does increased DNA damage increase cancer risk?  Answer: Yes.

Therefore, does it follow that getting CT scans increase one's risk of getting cancer?  Answer: Yes.

Does that mean CT scans can give you cancer?  Answer: Yes, they can. But the risks are low compared to the benefits.

Nuclear Power - Be Scared, Be Very Scared

That's what these guys are trying to sell:

Kevin Kamps, the radioactive waste watchdog or chihuahua?

Have A Radball

San Onofre Shutdown Raises Concerns

On greenhouse gas emissions.

Surprise!  (not)

Telomeres - p53 - Cancer

Loss of gene p53, can cause a cell to fail to arrest cell growth as the cell's telomeres (the ends of chromosomes) age.  That will enhance genomic instability a hallmark of cancer.

Making A Mountain Out Of Dust

Arnie Gundersen and "leading scientist", civil engineer Marco Kaltofen get some dust from around Fukushima.  It contained 153 Bq of cesium!

Fukushima Leaking For 2 Years

At least that's the way it looks based on radioactivity concentrations.

Lightning Follows Gamma Ray Pulse

The timing and energies are interesting, but still much is to be learned.

Floating Nuclear Power Plant

Being built in Russia.

Deniers Won't Care

Evolution is too slow to keep up with expected rate of climate change.

A biology denier doesn't believe in evolution anyway.

A climatology denier doesn't believe the planet is warming anyway.

Less Than Half Of Parents Know Of CT Scan Risks

I'm doing my part.

The Heartburn Institute Attacks The UCS

This is hilarious.  Global warming deniers in denial of their global warming denial.

You can't make this stuff up!

The "Creating A Major Scientific Controversy" Delusion

It's Christian Frank Turek promoting the latest IDiot book, Darwin's Doubt.

He says " In fact, paleontologists now think that roughly 20 of the 28 animal phyla (representing distinct animal “body plans”) found in the fossil record appear abruptly without ancestors in a dramatic geological event called the Cambrian Explosion."

IAEA At Fukushima & Chernobyl

They recently ran an emergency response network workshop at Fukushima and an investigative mission at Chernobyl over the cause and effect of a partial roof collapse.

Make sure you click on the image galleries within each link.

4 Ways To Get Rid Of Nuclear Waste

All cynical, but humurous.

Why Is There Something Rather Than Nothing?

It's not a scientific question.

How, not why.

I liked Krauss's comparison of quantum mechanics to the White House or corporate America (about 24:00):

"As long as you can't see it, anything goes"

Climate Change - Things To Think About

Because you wouldn't want to have your head in the sand, would you?

Fukushima Chief Manager Dead

Masao Yoshida, died of esophageal cancer.

TVA's Browns Ferry

Challenges margins of safety.

And "Dump" Wasn't Used

It is very common to find the media refer to any engineered disposal site for radioactive material as a "dump".

This article on Hanford's Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility was a refreshing change.

July Special? No Thanks.

At Nighthawk Minerals.  You can get some mud and a rock on a string for.....$150!

What a deal!

Tsk, Tsk Physicians

Overuse of CT scans for children with headaches.

“It’s ironic that providers sometimes use CT scans to rule out brain tumors or brain abnormalities because parents are concerned about this possibility — which is the cause of less than 1 percent of those with pediatric headache – when overuse of CT scans can increase the risk of brain tumors,” said co-author Dr. Paul Young, professor of pediatrics at the University of Utah School of Medicine, who was one of the individuals designated by the American Academy of Pediatrics to participate in the research. “It’s possible that physicians underestimate the risks associated with CT scans.”

Fukushima's Groundwater Problems

Still exist.

Radwaste Transport Politics

In Nevada.

RadWaste Politics

In New Mexico.

Rocks Can Restore Our Climate

After 300,000 years.

BARC! BARC!

The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) doesn't publicly reveal its radiological monitoring results for national security reasons.

Congrats Britain!

Looks like you'll be teaching about climate change in geography.

49th NCRP Annual Meeting

That would be the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements.

I've watched a couple of the videos.  The audio/video quality is poor, and the speakers are clearly not entertainers.  But you may find one or two talks whose titles interest you.

Only 5 States?

Have accepted science education standards which teach evolution & climate change pre-high school.

What's up America?

The Trouble With Miracles

Is that they rely on ignorance.

Health Risk 101

Nonsense Mediated mRNA Decay

A process of cellular protein quality control.

SRS Processes Over 1M Gallons Of Salt Waste

Again.

Crossing The Threshold Of Dose Response

Calabrese Sells Hormesis Again

He's been doing it for decades and it appears to be all he does.  I'm not sure where he's at or when the video was shot, but it was uploaded a couple of weeks ago.

His schtick is basically this...for any toxic substance there is a dose level below which there is No Observable Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL).

Since, by definition, there is no observed adverse effect, find an enhanced phenomenon associated with whatever is being studied.

Then call that phenomenon "low dose stimulation" and ignore that the substance is toxic, though its toxicity can't be OBSERVED (or measured) at some low level.

When the amount of the substance exceeds the NOAEL, the low dose stimulation magically disappears.  At least he admits hormesis is very general.  It sure is.

Brachytherapy

Is a medical procedure where a radioactive source is positioned inside the body for treatment and then removed.  The source can be manually implemented or a machine can be used to implant and remove the source (a remote afterloader).  Here's an ad for one such machine.

Dissociative Electron Attachment

That's a mouthful!  What's it mean?

Well, when thinking about ionizing radiation we usually think of a particle or photon (alpha, beta, gamma, etc.) traversing tissue and ionizing molecules in the tissue.  Let's call that the core.

Ionization means that electrons have been stripped from those molecules.  Those electrons are also particles and can cause ionization themselves (they are essentially beta particles).  Let's call them the pnumbra, they are also known as delta rays.

Another Dumb Anti-Biology Film Promo

No Such Thing As A Healthy Tan

Like ionizing radiation, UV radiation is LNT.

Nuclear Power In The 21st Century

An IAEA video:

Hormesis Emerges In Our Collective Consciousness

That's called woo-speak:

Eric Hedin - IDiot

A professor at Ball State University in Indiana, who proselytizes Christianity in an honors "science" class.

Here's some history from biologist Jerry Coyne.

In response, the IDiot Forum Discovery Institute has petitioned to school to defend Herdin's academic freedom.

IDiots.  All 7,000+ of them.

Music please, Maestro:

Leukemia Among A-bomb Survivors

A recently published study updated the leukemia (cancer of white blood cells) risks and found no or little evidence of excess risk of lymphoma (cancer of lymphocyte cells) or multiple myeloma (cancer of plasma cells) among the A-bomb survivors.

Who Was Leopold Freund?

The first person to use ionizing radiation for therapeutic purposes and the father of medical radiotherapy.

TEPCO Hires Foreign Safety Advocate

To ensure safety culture.  She's been mentioned here before, just search this blog under "judge".

Coal Industry Critical Of Mitigation Efforts

Who would have guessed?

Adaptive Response

Here's an interesting study that was published in the Calabrese's journal (fooled 'em).

It's interesting because it shows that microwave radiation can induce an adaptive response to lethality by gamma rays.  In other words, with these rodents, giving them some microwave radiation helps them survive lethal doses of gamma radiation given later.

As the study points out, many adaptive response phenomena have been observed.  But they only occur under unique conditions.  The priming (initial) dose has to be high (higher than what most consider "low dose radiation", and the challenge dose is usually much higher.

Health physics deniers (of the doubt-mongering variety) usually present one or more examples of adaptive response as hormesis....ie, radiation is good for you (in line with Calabrese's propaganda).

But there is no evidence supporting that claim.

P.S. Poor rodents.

UNSCEAR Press Briefing On Fukushima

It's just over a month old.  It actually starts at about 4:30.

ND Clinic Used Improper Shielding

Their contractors installed regular glass, not lead-shielded glass.

The Explosive Costs Of Disposing Of Nuclear Weapons

An op-ed.

U Mining & Native American Resistance

The article lacks hard data.

Chicago Pile-1

A bit of history.

Spent Nuclear Fuel To SRS?

The Citizen's Advisory Board is considering the proposition.

Short Term UV Linked to Juvenile Dermatomyositis

It's a very rare condition, though.

But the Sun is natural! HA!

This Should Cause Heartland Institute Heartburn

2001-2010 decade shows faster warming trend.

                                                 
                                                      The Heartland Institute Entrance

Calabrese Does Italy

Well, at least one Italian.  Spreading his health physics denial propaganda via Skype (or something similar).  Pathetic, really.

Let's Ask Morgan Freeman What He Thinks

About Intelligent Design and aliens.

Pretty good for an actor!

How Beliefs In Climate Change Denial & ID Are Similiar

And wrong.

Differential Gene Expression Following Irradiation

Here's a neat study from last year that examines which gene networks are expressed in human skin material in response to low (10 cGy) and high dose (100 cGy) x-ray irradiation.

There is some overlap and some differences between the differential gene expressions at the two doses.

As the authors point out, other studies (using other tissues, doses, radiation type, etc.) have shown similar results.

A Cornucopia Of Global Warming Denial

The Heartland Institute uploaded a bunch of propaganda videos over the last day from their International Conference On Climate Change.  Here's one gem with Pat Michaels (who also has a book for you to buy).

How Beliefs In E.T.'s & ID Are Similiar

And wrong.

Shortest Science Vs. Creationism Debate