nelson@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (Russ Nelson) (04/05/90)
In article <DLBRES10.90Apr4103514@pc.usl.edu> dlbres10@pc.usl.edu (Fraering Philip) writes:
Misconception #1:
[a free market] The only way that irradiated food could be forced
on them is if all of the non-irradiated food is pulled from the
shelves, which is probrably not likely to happen.
In the absence of labeling laws (which you go on to endorse), we have
fraud, rather than a free market. For example, if the spices you put on
your food are not explicitly NOT irradiated, they probably are irradiated.
Misconception #2:
... no labels on pesticide-free food saying that "Out of your
squirmishness about chemicals we let the bugs eat part of the crop
even in a world where people are suffering from lack of food.
We have the food to feed everyone a sufficient number of calories to
keep them healthy, even if we let the bugs eat part of the crop. When
people starve, it is because of political problems, e.g. Ethiopian aid
rotted on the docks while the soldiers kept it from the starving
people.
--
--russ (nelson@clutx [.bitnet | .clarkson.edu]) Russ.Nelson@$315.268.6667
Violence never solves problems, it just changes them into more subtle problems
Clarkson will be featured on PBS's Computer Chronicles this week.brooks@sierra.Stanford.EDU (Michael B. Brooks) (04/07/90)
Before I got into solid state physics/electronics I worked for a number of years as an aqueous and organic solution chemist (undergrad in chem from UCSD). I specialized in photoactivated nitrenes and modifications to proteins (enzymes) with various cross-linkers (which we synthesized). I would be very interested to see the citations in Chem Abstracts indicating work done that describes stereoisometric inversion of chiral molecules achieved with microwave radiation. I will buy such rearrangements with UV or higher energy forms, but microwaves? (just the citations, please). Mike Brooks/Stanford Electronics Labs (solid state)/SU MIT astronomer Walter Lewin: "Absence of evidence should never be mistaken for evidence of absence."
storkus@arrakis.nevada.edu (Mike Storke (N7MSD)) (04/07/90)
I think it's time to add my 2 cents. When you irradiate anything with ionizing radiation (which is what irradiated food is), just like anything else, ionization of the molecules and atoms takes place. IT IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE that this can break bonds and cause new ones to form when the electrons fall back into place. But remember, this is with IONIZING radiation (X-Rays, gamma, and some short wave UV). Microwaves DO NOT cause ionization, and cannot cause new bonds to form from processes other than thermal. Microwaves are only radio waves, the the most they do is cause currents to form and cause resistive heating (which is how microwaving works). Now most of this group probably knows this already. But I thought I'd just bring up the facts, just to be sure. Microwave food doesn't scare me anymore than my 2M handheld VHF radio and microwave dishes on top of "radioactive" mountain transmitter sites. Mike
aesop@milton.acs.washington.edu (Jeff Boscole) (04/09/90)
In article <6854@ncar.ucar.edu> baseball@bierstadt.scd.ucar.edu (Gregg Walters) writes: > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >Where is Fairhaven College? Fairhaven College is small "cluster College" of Western Washington University, which features an interdisciplinary curriculum straddling the humanities and sciences. Its motto is: "non-competitive excellence." ---
scj@meccsd.MECC.MN.ORG (Scotian) (04/11/90)
Jeff Boscole writes: |[...] "non-competitive excellence." Isn't this an oxymoron? -- ............................................................................... Scott C. Jensen I'm the NRA scj@meccsd.mecc.mn.org Say NO to the War on Drugs Pro Choice (abortion, guns, drugs, sex, etc.)
creagh@forestbear.Sun.COM (Creagh Yates) (04/11/90)
In article <1783@meccsd.MECC.MN.ORG> scj@meccsd.mecc.mn.org (Scotian) writes: >Jeff Boscole writes: >|[...] "non-competitive excellence." > >Isn't this an oxymoron? >-- >............................................................................... >Scott C. Jensen I'm the NRA scj@meccsd.mecc.mn.org >Say NO to the War on Drugs Pro Choice (abortion, guns, drugs, sex, etc.) Only if you grade on a curve :-) Creagh