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Wednesday, October 31, 2012

DNA Repair Insights

This particular study describes how a particular protein (Alt1) scours DNA (based on electric charge interactions) in order to identify changes in guanine (on of the four bases - adenine, cytosine and thymine being the others), so it can be repaired.

Y-12 Guards Cheated On Security Exam

And allowed  a security breach by pacifists last summer.

Renewable Energy To Overtake Nuke Power In U.K.

By 2015, but only if current growth rates continues.

Nuclear Power Sole Energy Source With Net Harmful Rating

Never underestimate the stupidity of Americans.  When polled on the environmental impact of various energy sources, nuclear power was seen as the most harmful.


Norwegians & Swedes - Get Out Of The Sun!

M-e-l-a-n-o-m-a!

Gundersen Fear Mongers On

Even though he made dire predictions regarding Hurricane Sandy and nuclear power plants that never manifested, he is still sought by some who don't want the fear mongering to stop.  He's more than happy to indulge them:


The facts regarding Oyster Creek's spent fuel pool cooling can be found here and today's NRC Event Reports (see right hand side of this webpage).

Right Wingers Don't Like Statistics

As mathematician Jason Rosenhouse points out when the data doesn't fit their ideology.  In the case of political election results, ignorance of statistics isn't a big deal.  The election results will soon be in and the winner will be known.

SRS Not Concerned By Hanford Tank Leak

They have similar wastes and double walled tanks.  One of Hanford's double walled tank is leaking into the outer wall.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Climate Change & Super Storms

Cause and effect.

Gundersen Claim Is "Unequivocally False"

Shocking.

Deviating From Rad Treatment Protocols Is Not A Good Thing

Increases the risk of treatment failures and deaths in cancer patients.  QA is the way!

Mammograms: For 1 Life Saved, 3 Are Overtreated

Because their cancer would never be life-threatening.  The problem is that it's hard to tell the difference between those that are and are not life-threatening.

Reducing Rad Doses In Cardiac Imaging

Big dose reduction in cardiac imaging at the U of Ottowa Heart Institute.

Finland's HLW Disposal Progress

As compared to the U.S.'s lack of progress.

Chumash Tribe Seeks Santa Susana Land

That would be home to a partial nuclear meltdown in 1959, though the land they seek may not be contaminated.

Poor Arnie, Nuclear Plants Doing Fine

Arnie Gundersen wanted people to be worried (see yesterday's post) about the fate of eastern nuclear power plants during Hurricane Sandy.  The plants are fine.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Hurricane Sandy & Climate Change

Hurricane Sandy is in the house.  It's no coincidence that one of the most powerful storms is happening on the heels of climate change.  Watch the embedded video here.  This is from the 2007 IPCC AR-4 Report:


"Results from embedded high-resolution models and global models, ranging in grid spacing from 100 km to 9 km, project a likely increase of peak wind intensities and notably, where analysed, increased near-storm precipitation in future tropical cyclones. Most recent published modelling studies investigating tropical storm frequency simulate a decrease in the overall number of storms, though there is less confidence in these projections and in the projected decrease of relatively weak storms in most basins, with an increase in the numbers of the most intense tropical cyclones."

 

Arnie Gundersen Fear Mongers About Hurricane Sandy

On the show Democracy Now.  Since things at Fukushima have been calm, Arnie's making a play on the hurricane:


U.N. Atlas Links Climate Change To Health

There are climate-sensitive diseases and the atlas is intended to provide the links.  It can be downloaded here.

NRC Beefs Up Inspectors On East Coast

As Hurricane Sandy approaches.

Cancer Cells Mocking Researchers!

In a recent "study".

Japanese Decon Technologies

Speaking of decontamination, here are a few technologies from the Japanese.  They don't seem very practical though:


USS Patriot Countermeasures Washdown System

Here is a washdown system used aboard the USS Patriot.  The sea water can be pretty cold, I wouldn't want to have to endure that:


Who Gave Birth To The Birther Video?

There's an Obama birther video hoax being floated about.  It's hilarious!

Saturday, October 27, 2012

MTV Breaks Obama's Silence On Global Warming

Both candidates have been largely silent on the issue, and President Obama says he was surprised it didn't come up in the debates.  So here's what he has to say:


Obama isn't being accurate when he says that reducing future emissions will "take huge amounts of carbon out of the atmosphere".  It will simply slow the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere, it doesn't take out any that is already there.

The One Million Rad Worker Study

Here's a website devoted to the One Million Worker Study (OMWS) which aims to discern the health effects of chronic doses of low level radiation to U.S. populations.  This is opposed to the Japanese a-bomb survivor study which studied the health effects of acute doses to a war-torn Japanese population. The U.S. populations received relatively high cumulative radiation doses, but they were delivered over many years and up to 70 years ago.  The large numbers and broad ranges should provide the OMWS with higher statistical power than the a-bomb survivor study (or any other study to date). The OMWS also considers doses from internal contamination.

Expect first results in 2016.

Is A Career In Health Physics For You?

Maybe this video will help you decide.

Wind Consumption Rose 27% In 2011

But still only accounted for less than 1% of overall energy consumption.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Poland Hesitant On First Nuke Plant

First they were for it.  Now hints that maybe not.

Fukushima Fish Still Contaminated

Probably from seabed contamination.

Nuclear Power In China

Growth somewhat limited as a result of Fukushima, only third generation plants to get approval.

Stimulus Funding Boon To Oak Ridge

Created or saved over 3,800 jobs and supported environmental cleanup.

Fukushima's Water Worries

Inventory at 200,000 tons (tons, not gallons) and growing.

PREDICCS Radiation Fields In Space

A software program to predict radiation fields in space in order to protect satellites and astronauts.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Rad Waste In Santa Monica Grocery Dumpster!!!!

Run...run...run...from the diaper.

"Climate Of Doubt"

I totally missed this yesterday, it's a Frontline documentary about climatology denial, called "Climate Of Doubt".  It is excellent and gives a great expose of all the denialist groups and Fred Singer in particular.  My only negative criticism is that the show's journalist referred to the deniers as "skeptics".  Deniers are not skeptics. There is a difference.

The battle is obviously still ongoing as represented by this bullshit piece in the UK's Mail Online.  The UK's Met Office has responded to the piece.  The website Skeptical Science also does a handy smackdown.

I hadn't heard of the American Tradition Institute, which was mentioned in the documentary.  I went to their webpage and they have a piece denouncing the documentary and promoting the Mail Online article. HA!  They were only founded in 2009, so that may explain my ignorance of them.   Mostly a bunch of white, male Republicans.  What a surprise.

Another Stupid Republican Politician

It never seems to end.

Fukushima - Stable But Precarious

I understand what's meant, but still pretty oxymoronic.

NRC Sponsoring NAS Pilot Study Of Cancer Risk Around Nuke Plants

The NRC is moving ahead with a pilot study of cancer risk around a few nuclear power plants (I posted on this back in May).  Depending on the findings, a more comprehensive study may be done.


Acupuncture Relieves Dry Mouth Following Radiotherapy

Of head and neck cancers.  No change in saliva production between those receiving acupuncture and those who didn't, just a different sensation, which sounds like the placebo effect.

Fukushima's Returning Residents

A short bit of propaganda from Greenpeace.



Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Climate Scientist Sues For Defamation

Good for you Dr. Mann,  it's time to stop playing defensive and go on the offensive.

DoE Confirms Slow Waste Leak At Hanford

As if there was really any doubt about what was between the walls of the double-walled tank.

I Like Sean Carroll

This video is one reason why:


Onami Decontamination Struggles

Described here.

N.H. Officials Testing Fish

Following a 2010 tritium leak from the Vermont Yankee power plant.  Seems a bit slow.

New 3-D Breast Imaging With 25x Less Rad Dose

This is very cool!

Monday, October 22, 2012

Comp Rules Eased For Hanford Workers

Making it easier for those with certain cancers to get financial help.

Orac Likes "Manufactroversy" Too

It's where a scientific controversy is manufactured for business, ideological, or other biased reasons.  Orac is a cancer surgeon who frequently criticizes medical manufactroversies.

In the health physics arena we have those who want to manufacture controversies about radiation health effects, either portraying them as more or less risky than what the science suggests.

I like "manufactroversy" too.

Kewaunee Nuke Plant To Shutdown

Next year.

Kurion Opens Modular Vit Facility

At Hanford.

Beware Of Teleological Reasoning

Unfortunately, even many scientists succumb.  It's very common in children and we usually outgrow it (or most of it).  For example, ask a child why there are trees, and the child may say, "to provide a home for birds".  That's a teleological answer. A scientific answer looks to the causes of trees (their evolutionary history).



Saturday, October 20, 2012

Science Left Behind

Is a book by Alex Berezow & Hank Campbell criticizing progressives for some of their anti-science ideologies.  Berezow will be on C-Span's Book TV tonight at 8:00 p.m. E.D.T.

The Past Is Present At TMI

In other words, the impact of the accident there hasn't vaporized.

NE Multi-State Rad Emergency Training

Dirty bomb scenario.

Safecast - From Radiation To Smog

This NYT blog explains how the non-profit Safecast has grown from networking Fukushima radiation data to measuring smog in Los Angeles.

Science Is For Everyone, Kids Included


What Was He Thinking?

A businessman spreads 100 tons of iron dust in the Pacific for his own personal experiment.

Friday, October 19, 2012

Another Anti-Science Republican

Congressman Joe Walsh:


Italian Supreme Court Rules That Cell Phones Can Cause Brain Cancer

This is really weird.  The article makes some statements about the Interphone study, but according to it, there is no increase risk of brain cancer:


"Conclusions

Glioma and meningioma

Overall, no increase in risk of glioma or meningioma was observed with use of mobile phones. There
were suggestions of an increased risk of glioma at the highest exposure levels, but biases and error
prevent a causal interpretation. The possible effects of long‐term heavy use of mobile phones require
further investigation."



"How Citizen Scientists Can Sample Radiation"

It's health physicist-wannabe Marco Kaltofen with a video describing how to count radioactive samples.

Pretty fluffy.


HPV Causes Cervical Cancer

And a lot of women don't understand that.

What Could Congress Learn From Her?

This is a wierd article ...what does Ms. Bender really know about radiation and why should she be invited to speak before Congress?  The article doesn't really say.  It Includes a picture of her with Arnie Gundersen but refers to him as Dennis Kucinich.

I went to her website and she clearly is misinformed:

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Nuclear Power Not So Good

Says Bahrain, Singapore and Romania.

Rad Waste At INL

Here's a decent and recent video describing radioactive waste generatred at Idaho Nat'l Labs:


Orac Slams NBC's Dr. Snyderman

Orac is a blogging cancer surgeon who partially inspired me to blog.  He takes on the medicine quacks and today he rightly slams NBC's Dr. Nancy Snyderman.

Easter Island's Role In Nuclear Test Ban Monitoring


The Impacts Of Global Warming

This paper argues for adapting to global warming rather than trying to curb it.  I think we have to do both.

This paper points out that global warming doesn't only affect species directly through temperature change, but also indirectly by changing interactions between species.

This paper documents sea level rise along the U.S. northeast coast.

China Eyes $13B Nuke Investment

Good to see them more environmentally conscious.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

It Was Only A Joke - About Fukushima

By a French T.V. host.

"Evolution Is Not A Matter Of Science"

One more reason to not vote Republican, Mississippi Senator Todd Aiken.

Honeywell Feeling NRC Heat

At its uranium conversion facility in Metropolis, IL.

Floridians Feeling Heat From Climate Change

And they've have asked the presidential candidates to respond.  From their letter:

"Florida is already feeling the effects of sea level rise and, increasingly, it jeopardizes the
health, safety, and economic well-being of our communities. Our local tidal gauges show
sea levels rose by about eight inches in the twentieth century."

So let's take a peek at each candidates campaign website for their take on the issue.

Neither candidate lists climate change as one of their issues, though they both have an "Energy" issue.

President Obama hints at the need to address climate change but nothing explicit.

Mitt Romney doesn't even bother to hint.


New Rad Exposure Treatment

Is applied to the skin and has increased survival in animal models three-fold.

Indian Point Federal Hearing Begins Today

Here's the latest.

IDiots P2

This is a follow-up to yesterday's post on the Discovery Institute, which tries to package their religion as the science of Intelligent Design, and so they have earned the name IDiots.

They have uploaded another video (what did ya' expect a scientific study?), and it's more of the same:

Monday, October 15, 2012

Rad Safety Comp Center Marks 50 Year Anniversary

Storehouse of computer modeling for radiation and nuclear interactions.

KAPOW!

The Sun unleashes a huge prominence captured by NASA's STEREO observatory last week:


Coincidentally, this month's Health Physics Journal has a lot of good info on particle radiation and space missions.

European Nuke News

Lithuanian nuclear power plans stalled.

Poland still pursuing first nuclear plant.

Germany dealing with hefty bill to end nuclear power.

Fukushima Exports First Beef In 30 Months

To U.S. 

More Discovery Institute Anti-Biology Propaganda

From the Discovery Institute, here's a quick, recent clip of their "biologist" trying to sell their book they published a few months ago of old, falsified ideas (the book may not be selling as they prayed hoped for):

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Human Heritable Effects Of Radiation

Last week I  had this long and difficult "discussion" with someone on YouTube who isn't accepting my claim that there have been no observable human heritable effects of radiation.  Since YouTube comments are limited to 500 characters, that platform doesn't help.

I thought I'd discuss here.

So let's dig in!

Jerry Cuttler - Health Physics Science & History Denier

Gawd-awful!

Indian Point Nuclear Plant On Trial

Starting Monday, and the NRC is on trial too in a way, since they've already concluded the plant should be relicensed.

CA To Try Cap & Trade

As of January 1 it will be the first U.S. state to give it a whirl.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Edward Calabrese Self-Regulates Some

Following my last post, here's a recent upload of Calabrese explaining hormesis (which is "his version").  Radiation hormesis was originally defined by T.D. Luckey as a radiation effect that was beneficial.  Even though the root of the word hormo means "excite", the biological stimulation was promoted by Luckey (and others) as an overall beneficial effect.  In this recent video upload, Calabrese, is doing a Romneyesque flip-flip from what Luckey had originally meant and what he himself has said in the past.

More Ed Calabrese

These videos are about a year old, but only uploaded a couple of days ago.  The topic is Calabrese's claim that Herman Muller (Nobel laureate who studied radiation genetic effects on fruit flies in the 1930's & 1940's) lied about his work.  It's contrived and meant to rally the Hormies (health physics deniers who believe in hormesis).  

The pseudo-issue reminds me of the creationists' Haeckel's embryos propaganda (see my webpage, "Comparing The Creationists & Hormesis Cults" on upper right hand side of this page):

Fukushima Rad Levels

Still high, but lower.  Duh.

The 3 Divine Protocol


Friday, October 12, 2012

Science Denial Covered Thoroughly

It's got creationists, anti-vaxxers, anti-flouridators...hey what about the anti-health physics bunch?

I guess I won't need to stop blogging anytime soon.  And I have two anti-health physics camps to deal with.

Is Nuclear Power Viable?

Well this video doesn't answer the question, but nuclear power is compared with solar power.


TEPCO Humbled

They're acknowledging some bad decisions were made.  Hindsight is 20-20.

Fusion - Is It Just A Dream?

Good slide show at IAEA website.  I can't provide a direct link, you'll have to click once you get there.

Nobel Laureate Debunks Rad Myths Oddly

His name is Leon Cooper and he is a physicist who seems to be finding out that organisms (fruitflies in this case) respond differently to low levels of radiation as compared to high levels.  It's "possible" that the cell can repair itself at low doses and if true, this could have widespread political consequences.

Well, not only is it possible....it happens, and we already account for that in the science of health physics.


Ra-226 Removed From Allentown, PA Arena

And taken to Oak Ridge, TN.

Hanford Tank Interstitial Material Is Rad Waste

As expected, by me at least.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Radioactive Legacy Of New Mexico

From the traditionally anti-nuclear show Democracy Now!  I don't know much about Los Alamos specifically, so I have no comments:


Global Warming Denier Priest Preaches to Choir

It's S. Fred Singer preaching to The Heartland Institute.  The talk isn't centered around global warming but it comes up here and there, particularly at the end 38:45 onward.  It was just posted to YouTube but is obviously from July 28 since that was when Richard Muller had his op-ed in the NYT.

Resurrecting Sherman-Mangano In San Francisco

Remember the absurd "study" that was published in a health services journal?  Someone has an op-ed in a San Francisco newspaper trying to resurrect that nonsense.

Climate Science In Schools: The Next Evolution

With the National Center For Science Education's Genie Scott and Arctic explorer Will Steger:


San Onofre Circus

Fun times.

Fooled By "The Atomic States Of America"

The documentary I've discussed before.  They suckered at least one person.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Natural Solutions' Stupidity

I need a shower because I actually communicated with one of these morons (I think Rima Laibow).  This is alternate Universe kind of stuff.  And they're also anti-vaxxers.  And Laibow claims to be a physician!:




The Voice Isn't Accurate

"First, exposure to ionizing radiation, no matter how small, is dangerous to human health."

That's fearmongering.

And it cites the bogus NYAS Chernobyl study.

Here's a related article by the same writer.

Global Warming Means More Antarctic Sea Ice

I've posted on the subject before (just search under "Antarctic") but here's a recent article and related video:


Nuclear Whistleblower Gives Talk

His name is Dale Bridenbaugh and he worked on GE Mark I reactors.  It's been obviously edited, not sure why.  He seems honest and sincere but at about 16:00, Dan Hirsch comes on to point out that the Japanese wanted to relax their dose limits about 100-fold to 2 rem/year.  

A Trick Of The Tail

Invisible mRNA tails can befuddle cellular regulatory mechanisms, increasing the risk of producing cancer causing proteins after transcription.

Music please Maestro:


"Nones" On The Rise In U.S.

That is people with no religious affiliation and its mostly thanks to the younger folks.

Congrats USA!


Breast Cancer Really Kills

Here's a story about a Kenyan woman who didn't take the scientific recommendations of her physician seriously. She's dead.

Don't do alternative-medicine...a treatment is either medically efficacious (medicine) or not (snake oil).

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Galectin-3

Strikes me as something from cosmology, but it's actually from biology.  It's a molecule that metastatic cancer cells bind to very well.  The more aggressive the metastasis the more galectin-3 present.  It's like the cancer is sending signals to create a micro-environment to help ensure its success at metastasis.

CA Plans For No San Onofre

Because that's reality.

Forbes Tax Contributor Covers F**ktards

And their apparent tax problems.  Mr. Reilly embedded some videos in his piece, but my favorite on the subject is this one:

CAUTION:  ADULT LANGUAGE

Cumbria's HLW Disposal Decision Prolonged

To support the UK's HLW needs:


Nuclear Fusion - Step By Step, Inch By Inch

Advances being made very slowly.

NF = Nuclear Fusion =Niagara Falls!

Monday, October 8, 2012

Less Rad Waste Leads To Tooele County Budget Cuts

It's amazing how much waste receipts have dropped at EnergySolutions, represented by $13M in tax fees in 2005 and only $2M so far this year.  With that kind of reduction in tax fees, the county is forced to make cuts.

Dan HIrsch Gets A Venue

Speaking out against San Onofre, which he does well at.  I'm not sure why no one showed up from the utility:


Arjun Makhijani Denouncing Things Nuclear

As he's been doing for decades, though he's right about the improvements in renewable technologies and the climate change models.  From a couple of days ago:


India Doing The Nuclear Power Debate


CO2 Rises Faster In Good Times Than It Falls In Bad Times

According to this study.

Cancer Therapy Animations

I love animations!  If a picture is worth a thousand words, then an animation is worth a gazillion words!

And Yet Another Fukushima Documentary

Called "Taking The Initiative - The Housewives Of Fukushima".  This one is better than most, it actually shows people learning the facts to overcome their fears, instead of fear-mongering.  One person even states that the radiation risks are comparable to others in the area.


Aging Linked To Cancer

Which is what I've said previously (see my webpage at right, "Radiation, Evolution, Cancer & Aging").

Problems With Hanford's MARS

Slowing the great progress made this year, but it looks like deadlines will still be reached.  Here are a couple of video showing the system:

Sunday, October 7, 2012

More On The French Radiation Scandal

I first posted on this about a week ago, here's more:



Fukushima "Scary" Contamination Levels

In the central city of Koriyama.  Someone has uploaded a video which shows several points reading in the units of Bq/cm^2.  The video uploader only shows one measurement in each area, but nonetheless extrapolates from cm^2 to m^2.  That is not appropriate unless the entire m^2 is represented by the individual measurement and it's not clear that that is the case.

Pope Looking For Western Chumps

All the sex scandal stuff has taken a huge toll on church finances.  The Pope is looking to bring in cash.  Here is the other biologist, Catholic Ken Miller, mentioned in Victor Stenger's piece (see my first post of today).

Face Down Rad Therapy May Be Safer

For breast cancer patients by reducing later lung and heart risks.

Is Evolution Compatible With Religion?

Physicist Victor Stenger concludes not.  Of course it depends on the religion.  Religion is not science and is not history, it is made up.  So someone can easily fabricate their religious belief to be compatible with evolution.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Fukushima Thyroid Doses

Small sample size of 62 people.   The median thyroid equivalent dose for children (under 20 years of age) and adults was 4.2 and 3.5 mSv, respectively.  This is less than WHO's estimates (see WHO Preliminary Fukushima Dose Estimate page at right of this webpage).

Creationism, Mr. Nye, & Dr. Pepper

Steven Newton with the National Center For Science Education.

Australia You've Got An HP Denier

His name is Terry Krieg and here he is "exploding the myths" about nuclear power.  I don't know who he is or what the venue is other than a Rotary Club meeting.  In the beginning he informs us he's also a climatology denier.  Then at around 10:30 he goes for health physics denial.

IL Swims In Atomic Wastes

Ok, a bit of an exaggeration.

This Anti-Science Idiot Is In U.S. Govt


And he's an MD.

I'm speechless.

CA's Senior HP Says Navy Report Wanting

On the details of radioactive materials associated with Treasure Island.

Radiation From ID Fires Pose No Risks

The smoke particles usually also contain carcinogenic chemicals, but no one mentions that.

Friday, October 5, 2012

The Three Anti-Nuclear Stooges

Good for laughs, but pretty much fact free.

No, You're Not Entitled To Your Opinion

Let philosopher Patrick Stokes explain.

When 3 Is Less Than 1: Fukushima & Chernobyl

Lately I've been battling the claim that Fukushima is worse than Chernobyl in terms of human health effects.

The reasoning has been because Fukushima involved 3 reactors and Chernobyl only one.

But there's more to the issue than that.

Arctic Sea Ice Extent At Record Low

For September.  Please don't make a fool of yourself by stating that the Antarctic sea ice extent is at a maximum, therefore, global warming isn't true.


INL Fined More Than $400K

Due to 2 contamination incidents last year.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

De-biasing

Here's a decent article about how to get people to de-bias and understand science.


"This is not a random event," Maibach says. Rather, it is the result of a concerted effort by a small number of politicians and industry leaders to instill doubt in the public. They repeat the message that climate scientists don't agree that global warming is real, is caused by people or is harmful. Thus, the message concludes, it would be premature for the government to take action and increase regulations.

Radiation Hormesis Saves Honeybees

Yes, radioactive ores emit frequencies which use oxygen for fuel.

And if you order now, you can get $20 off of a rock, so you can put it in sugar water to save honeybees!




San Onofre To Restart

Another reactor with some unfortunate history is looking to restart.

Turkey Beats U.S.

In understanding climatology.  This is a major upset because because the U.S. just barely beat Turkey in understanding biology.  Go USA!




Monju Reactor To Restart

The Japanese fast breeder reactor, Monju, could use some good luck considering its history:




Secret Meetings

Were held by the Fukushima prefecture government regarding health issues.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Studying Non-Humans Around Fukushima

Knowledge is always good so study away, but studying wild animals offers many challenges in drawing conclusions to human populations.

Tumor Elicited Inflammation

Here's a cool finding whereby some gut bacteria can trigger an immune response in the colon which can lead to cancer, even though there is no chronic inflammation (as traditionally described).

In the health physics world, there are some h.p. deniers who like to claim that radiation can be immuno-stimulative, which in some cases it is.  But that doesn't necessarily mean there is a lower risk of cancer.

But that's not the conclusion they like to hear.

DDP President Is Really Whacky

I hadn't heard of her until my earlier post of today.  I just had to investigate a bit more to see how (un)reasonable she is.  Well, plenty unreasonable.  Here she is asking the HHS secretary whether she can buy her own medical care if she is enrolled in Medicare.  Of course she can!

Let's Talk A Little Bit About Science

Because I've had enough pseudo-science this morning.  Here's Dr. Eugenie Scott doing the talking:



Misconduct Widespread In Retracted Science Papers

It is a shame.  And of course, those just reflect the papers which have been identified.

Then there are the pseudo-science papers written for pseudo-science organizations which try to pretend that they are objective, scientific organizations.  Those never get retracted.

DDP President Gets Media Coverage

The Doctors for Disaster Preparedness (DDP) are an off-shoot of the George C. Marshall Institute and like them, right-wing, anti-science propagandists.  The DDP President received some press coverage on Fukushima.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Another Fukushima Documentary

Pretty much like all of the rest of the anti-nuclear documentaries...appeals to emotion and little facts.  Like the others on Fukushima, this one totally ignores the 17,000 deaths from the earthquake and tsunami, and fixates on an anti-nuclear agenda.



Airport Screening Radiation Risks

Here's my favorite radiation effects researcher Dr. David Brenner discussing the screening risks and radiation risks in general:



Europe's Nuke Plants Need Upgrades

To the tune of up to 25B euros according to the European Commission.

New Kind Of Light

By chilling photons into a blob state.

Crematorium Contaminated

Due to incinerating someone with I-125 seeds (click on NRC event reports to the right of this webpage).

BW Y-12 Fires Security Contractor

After they allowed 3 peace activists to penetrate the complex.

High Speed Food Rad Monitor For Fukushima

Good for gamma's:


We've come a long way!


Monday, October 1, 2012

Galen Winsor - My First HP Denier

I very vaguely recall watching a video featuring Galen about 30 years ago in the Navy.  I hadn't heard the name since until today.  He couldn't understand health physics and used to get into trouble with his employers for not following the rules.  Here he is from 1985 showing his ignorance (this wasn't the video I recall seeing long ago).  He was the first health physics denier (of the pro-nuke variety) I remember coming across:

Crystal River Repairs Could Exceed $3B

Ouch!

ANS Highlights Bad Science Again

I've written many posts on the 2012 American Nuclear Society's President's Special Session, which was a cherry-picked anti-health physics session organized by a George C. Marshall Institute Fellow (Past ANS President Loewen) and psychic Ted Rockwell.

Not only was the session bad science itself, it made it to an ANS blog, then to the latest issue of the ANS magazine Nuclear News, and now it is featured under "What's New" on the ANS website.

What's going on here?

There were many sessions at the 2012 annual meeting (where the special session was held).  There wasn't any new information provided within the special session.

Why all the propaganda?????


This Is Not Cool!

Peter Sinclair has just uploaded a new Climate Denial Crock Of The Week video.  It's from his trek on Easton Glacier in Washington featuring glacierologist  Dr. Mauri Pelto.  In watching that video I learned he made another for the Yale Climate Forum, which follows:

Fukushima Documentary

Pretty typical, relying on appeals to emotion rather than logic. It's produced by the Church World Service, so obviously science isn't their forte.  I find it fascinating that the documentary starts out describing the earthquake and tsunami which killed more than 17,000 people, "however at the same time a more concerning accident had just begun."  Why is Fukushima more concerning than the earthquake/tsunami?



Wolfgang Weiss, UNSCEAR Chairman

Here he is discussing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and how the radioactivity monitoring network associated with it was useful in monitoring Fukushima.  The video appears to be shot last year, but was only recently uploaded: