Path: utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!torsqnt!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!galaxy.rutgers.edu!argus!ken
From: ken@argus.UUCP (Kenneth Ng)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: WHY AREN'T WE ALL DEAD???
Summary: Plutonium toxicity
Message-ID: <1292@argus.UUCP>
Date: 19 Sep 89 12:13:36 GMT
References: <27300001@iuvax>
Organization: NJ Instit. of Tech: TEIES Project
Lines: 33

In article <27300001@iuvax>, hagerp@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu writes:
: I am appalled by continued statements by the neo-Luddite crowd that
: "... plutonium is the most toxic substance known to man, with one
: pound -- if evenly distributed  -- capable of causing cancer in
: every human being on the planet ...".  If this statement is true
: 		WHY AREN'T WE ALL DEAD???
[edit]
: So, I ask again -- if plutonium is so dangerous, why aren't we all
: dead.
: -- paul hager		hagerp@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu

Because I believe the proper term is "if properly distributed".
The proper means is that if every man woman and child stands in line,
gets the proper dosage of plutonium, and fails to see the doctor on
a regular basis for the next 20-40 years.  However, I really doubt
one could do so.  By similar notion the annual production of hydrogen
cyanide could theoritcally kill six trillion people, if we could get
everyone to stand in line and inhale exactly the proper amount.

And as far as "most toxic substance" is concerned, I believe
Boutoulism (sp) is by far the most toxic, although I think the
puffer fish entails comes in a close second  (believe it or not
this is considered a delicy and an aphrodisiac in Japan).

Followups to sci.energy please.

Kenneth Ng: Post office: NJIT - CCCC, Newark New Jersey  07102
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-- 
Kenneth Ng: Post office: NJIT - CCCC, Newark New Jersey  07102
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