Dopers, please stop the FX nuclear blog

[purplehorseshoe]

I dunno. As of this morning, it looks like everyone in that thread sat around and got stoned together. They seem to have the munchies …

[Bri2k]

Not to worry, the FX blog hit my “couldn’t give a crap less” file around page 5. Still it’s nice to see he’s good at entertaining himself.

Bri2k

[purplehorseshoe]

Oh, is that what the kids are callin’ it these days?

[Knorf]

I’ve been very guilty of posting in the thread, of which I now repent.

My main objection is that the OP in that thread is treating the SDMB as his own personal blog. I don’t think he’s a troll, per se. But he’s not interested in honest debate or discussion. He just wants to vent his daily outrage and knock over various straw men.

I’m actually puzzled as to why the mods haven’t closed it, yet. He’s obviously a one-trick pony.

[mhendo]

@Knorf

I’m actually puzzled as to why the mods haven’t closed it, yet. He’s obviously a one-trick pony.

I agree that he is, but as i said earlier, as long as people keep responding to him, you can argue that there’s some sort of conversation going on. Once people stop, and it truly is just him posting, i believe that they will, in fact, close it down.

[Knorf]

Right on. I’m staying out.

[PlainJain]

It won’t matter because even if everyone stopped posting (which ain’t gonna happen), he will continue to bump it with his daily news feed. The only real chance is to trainwreck the fucker and maybe the authorities will step in.

Now who could we get to do it…

[Mince]

@A Monkey With a Gun

The damn thing is up to 25 pages now.

Just increase the posts displayed per page and it won’t be so long.

[XT]

It’s actually up to 26 now and still going strong. Gods he’s dense.

-XT

[OneMissedPost]

Now that you said stop posting under that thread, more people are going to post. Isn’t that what psychology says?

[DSeid]

Hard to understand why the thread is not shut. He alternates using it as his personal blog with just enough trolling to get the occasional other poster to bite. Both of which are individually verboten.

Thing is, every so often I come across something that is an interesting update on the aftermath of the nuclear accident. If the thread was not being so abused by him it would be a good place to put it.

Well, I’ll post it here for now, to pass it along to anyone who might be interested in something other than the FX monologues. I don’t want to bump that thread.

This Science article reviews what is known and unknown about the consequences of radiation exposure of the sort likely to accumulate from this accident.

More here.

The general public avoided exposure to high levels of radioactivity, but questions linger about the long-term effects of contamination. … several thousand of Fukushima’s 2 million residents have been thrust into the middle of a vigorous scientific debate about the health effects of long-term exposure to low levels of radiation. “We’re all guinea pigs,” says Akira Watanabe, a meteorologist who is vice president of Fukushima University here. A central question is whether there’s a threshold below which radiation has no ill effect. “Dose threshold is a very contentious issue in the radiation community,” says radiation epidemiologist Roy Shore, research head at the Radiation Effects Research Foundation in Hiroshima. Some researchers believe even unavoidable background radiation can be a factor in causing cancer. Others argue that tiny doses of radiation are not harmful. Some scientists even claim that low doses, by stimulating DNA repair, make you healthier—an effect known as hormesis.

Studies in Fukushima could help clarify the picture. But getting answers will not be easy. Radiation exposure levels for most people were elevated so minutely above background that it may be impossible to tease out carcinogenic effects from other risk factors, such as smoking or diet. “In order to detect an elevation in risk, one needs to study much larger numbers of people,” Shore says, especially given that 40% of all Japanese develop cancer.

This one documents the plans made to provide comprehensive health care to those exposed and in so doing document clearly what those risks are.

Researchers here are about to launch one of the most ambitious epidemiological studies ever attempted on the effects of low-dose radiation. On 25 July, Japan’s legislature approved a supplementary budget to support recovery from the 11 March disaster that includes $1.2 billion for health care and long-term studies of people exposed to radiation from the stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant. The target population includes all of Fukushima Prefecture’s 2-million-plus residents … In addition, each of the prefecture’s estimated 360,000 youngsters age 18 and under will get a thyroid examination, because thyroid cancer among young people was the clearest health effect of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986. All 20,000 pregnant women in the prefecture will be examined and their babies’ health will be tracked. The plan also calls for medical checkups for an estimated 200,000 people evacuated from the vicinity of the nuclear power plant. And there will be mental health support for those in need. This is just the first phase of an effort expected to last at least 30 years.

Scientists have long debated the health effects of chronic low radiation doses. Research here might yield insights into whether a threshold exists below which radiation exposure has no ill effect or is possibly beneficial (Science, 20 May, p. 908). …

… The primary purpose is to address health care needs. …

[XT]

This is probably the best place to put such updates, DSeid. Certainly it wouldn’t work in his blog/troll thread. Thanks for the update!

-XT

[kidchameleon]

Oh joy, another blog post.