On Mon, 21 Mar 2005, Barney Lyon wrote:
Authors of the study caution that it is an ecological investigation
based on county level and school district data and does not lend itself
to more individualized interpretations. They add that it is only a
first step in identifying the need for further investigation.
In other words, one study suggests the possibility of a causality, but
cautions that further investigation is needed.
It is unscientific to claim that a causality exists, or even to say that
it is likely that a causality exists.
It is also a rather vile insult to the victims to autism and their
families to compare them to someone who is brain-dead.
Nobody has ever claimed that exposure to mercury is good for you; its
toxicity has been well-known for a long time. The *only* issue under
debate is the extent to which amelioration efforts need to be taken.
Shutting down coal-fired power plants in favor of nuclear power plants is
very probably a net gain for the environment. However, since that isn't
going to happen, we're just going to have to live with coal power.
-- Mark --
http://staff.washington.edu/mrc
Science does not emerge from voting, party politics, or public debate.
Si vis pacem, para bellum.
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