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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!bellcore!decvax!ittatc!dcdwest!sdcsvax!ncr-sd!hp-sdd!hplabs!qantel!ptsfa!gilbbs!mc68020
From: mc68020@gilbbs.UUCP (Tom Keller)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: plutonium
Message-ID: <48@gilbbs.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 7-Mar-86 07:06:25 EST
Article-I.D.: gilbbs.48
Posted: Fri Mar  7 07:06:25 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 10-Mar-86 08:32:09 EST
References: <860228145732.368978@HI-MULTICS.ARPA> <8603030411.AA03642@pc.Purdue.EDU>
Organization: Gil's Place, Santa Rosa CA
Lines: 41
Summary: bullpuckey!

In article <8603030411.AA03642@pc.Purdue.EDU>, wdm@PUR-EE.UUCP (Tex) writes:
> In article <860228145732.368978@HI-MULTICS.ARPA> you write:
> >(Please excuse the mild sarcasm :-)
> >
> >Since the scientific proof obviously does not exist to back up my
> >statement, I retract my entire statement.  Plutonium is completely
> >harmless, and there would be no additional danger in having the shuttle
> >carrying the Galileo and Ulysses probes explode over the present
> >explosion.  In fact, a plan has been developed to introduce plutonium
> >into children's breakfast cereal as a replacement for sugar.
> >
> >After all, we've been doing this stuff for years and nobody can prove
> >that anybody has ever died from it.  Therefore, it must not be harmful.
> >
> >Sincerely,
> >
> >Brett Slocum
> 
> Upset that some people refused to jump on the hysteria bandwagon?

   I find it interesting that for *MANY YEARS* scientists and medical doctors
denied any danger in the use of asbestos for insulation, ceiling tiles, etc.

   The fact is that we do *NOT* know how dangerous plutonium is or is not.  I
tend to lean toward the "extremely dangerous" opinion, myself. 


   I find it to be both bad science and bad taste to simply dismiss out of hand
the legitimate fear of plutonium, and the distrust of many citizens of the
assurances of the pro-nuclear faction that this stuff is "virtually harmless".

-- 

====================================

Disclaimer:  I hereby disclaim any and all responsibility for disclaimers.

tom keller
{ihnp4, dual}!ptsfa!gilbbs!mc68020

(* we may not be big, but we're small! *)