by Bman » Thu Jul 13, 2006 10:31 pm
Well strike me down with an x-ray.
I have just finished watching horizon on BBC2 and it was all about Radiation. I didnt know this but back in the 1920 & 30's scientists and the public generally believed Radiation was good for you ! They said it had almost become fashionable in parts of the world to drop a lump of Urainium in a jug of water, chill it overnight and then drink it the next day. It was believed it would get rid of headaches and make you feel better.
Obviously by the 40's scientists now thought Radiation was actually a killer. The atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima (sp) was evident that radiation caused an immediate impact on life and genetically too. If you were within a close proximaty from the blast you were exposed to higher levels of radiation than those further away from initial impact.
Also Chernobyl in 1986, was another scare for people by now with "radiophobyia". I think they said on the programme that the radiation levels were nothing compared to that of Hiroshima. And from a possible 500,000 or so people something like 57 actually died from radioactivity. In the press and I suppose in general people believe those numbers would be more, epecially 57. By the way 57 people was scientifically proven to die directly from Chernobyl, (caused by radiation). They were people who came in to clean up the after effects i.e get rid of rubbish and clean up the site.
It wasnt until some years later scientists decided to retrieve wildlife from around Chernobyl. They instantly thought these animals, mice, feerits and hedgehogs etc would be genetically mutated I suppose. They thought there cells would be infected and the animals would be in a bad way.
But no, they were fine. After being exposed to something like 8000 x-rays a day for god knows how many years these animals and there cells were fine.
Since then scientists have seen what low levels of radiation do to human beings. They know obviously high levels can trigger some cancers. And cause birth defects. But they dont know what low levels do really. It was shown in certain populated areas in and around the world that people that are exposed to higher than average levels of radiation will actually lower there risk of cancer. As the radiation level apparently stimulates these cells instead of killing them.
It appears scientists have almost gone full circle with this, since the 20's & 30's to drinking radiation. Onwards to the 40's & 50's with nuclear bombs and the worry of nuclear power stations. Now the they reckon lower levels can actually be good rather than bad for humans. Interesting huh ?
So- called " experts" are forever doing this to us, one minute there on telly saying tomatoe ketchups bad for you. The next week there telling you it could prevent cancer. Salt is another one, too much hardens the arterys one week, the next there saying we can have more with our meals. They do this with foods especially and other things, they're always moving the goal posts on us. Next they'll find that carrots are bad for you (by the way how do you know there not ?) and smoking cigarettes and eating mcDonalds is good for you. Can you see where I'm comig from ?
So I ask what is an " expert" ?