I am amazed by the ignorance of people

[sjyu]

I was at a social gathering, someone asked about my progress in preparing for the NRRPT exam. I was explaining it was tough but getting better.  Someone piped in with "radiation is bad. We don't need any and we should just get rid of it all"   I tried to explain that it's all around us, even if we didn't create any artificial radiation, there is still radiation etc... She would not be swayed by anything I said, and the longer we talked the more ignorant her justifications were. 

I was trying to explain but everything I said she had another counter-statement that was even more off the wall biologically and physically. The bad thing is she's not a crack-pot anti-nuke activist. She just doesn't know.  The movies from the 1950's are still corrupting people now. 

How do you handle social gatherings when your profession comes up? Other then changing the subject before you are blamed for every nuclear incident in the last century. 

[Starkist]

Ignore. That's the best recourse. They won't be educated by anyone based on one persons statements. Until it's publicly taught in schools and accepted for the fact it is, people will continue to be comfortable being ignorant to fact.

Truth is, most people don't care to learn. For every 1 that listens and learns, 9999 are there to ignore blatant fact.

Thats just the way it is :p

[surf50]

I've learned through hard experience to never bring up what I do for a living, unless I know the person asking.
I don't ask others that question, because it just leads back to , "So, now what do you do?".
If pressed I'll say I work for an electrical utility. A smart old RP who's since retired once told me he'd always tell people he digs ditches. No ever asked him any follow-up questions.

And Starkist is right; ignore the ignorant.

[RDTroja]

Ignore. That's the best recourse. They won't be educated by anyone based on one persons statements. Until it's publicly taught in schools and accepted for the fact it is, people will continue to be comfortable being ignorant to fact.

Truth is, most people don't care to learn. For every 1 that listens and learns, 9999 are there to ignore blatant fact.

Thats just the way it is :p

I've learned through hard experience to never bring up what I do for a living, unless I know the person asking.
I don't ask others that question, because it just leads back to , "So, now what do you do?".
If pressed I'll say I work for an electrical utility. A smart old RP who's since retired once told me he'd always tell people he digs ditches. No ever asked him any follow-up questions.

And Starkist is right; ignore the ignorant.

Terrific. Ignore problems and they go away, right?

You are both part of the problem.

[Bonds 25]

"artificial radiation"

Now there is a new one for me. 

Sir, don't worry about that Cobalt 60 gamma.....its artificial.  I like it 

[Marlin]

   I like to explain that they give themselves 25 mrem each year from natural radioactivity in their bodies and get 2 mrem per year sleeping next to someone for eight hours a night. It doesn't usually help but I get to feel a little bit smug when they dismiss it.

[surf50]

Terrific. Ignore problems and they go away, right?

C'mon, Rodger, you enjoy arguing a position with someone! I've been in your classes before 
Not everyone wants to educate the masses. I'm not ignoring the problem, just the person who has preconceived ideas they learned from watching the 'Simpsons'.
I'm a big believer in those rules that Marlin has at the bottom of his posts.

[Starkist]

Terrific. Ignore problems and they go away, right?

You are both part of the problem.

You've argued with me in Polysci.  You know what its like arguing with a brick wall :p

[roadhp]

I like to turn it back on them.  I ask them if they have smoke detectors, have had an x-ray or, heavens, an MRI, ask them if they are frequent fliers, if they smoke or live near a coal fired plant, have a glow-in-the-dark watch, work in a granite building or have a basement in bedrock.  Then I tell them just how much more radiation exposure they get per year than I do working at a Nuclear Power Plant.  That pretty much shuts them up.

[MeterSwangin]

I like to turn it back on them.  I ask them if they have smoke detectors, have had an x-ray or, heavens, an MRI, ask them if they are frequent fliers, if they smoke or live near a coal fired plant, have a glow-in-the-dark watch, work in a granite building or have a basement in bedrock.  Then I tell them just how much more radiation exposure they get per year than I do working at a Nuclear Power Plant.  That pretty much shuts them up.

Might leave out MRI.  Not a radiation producing machine.  Magnetic resonance is pretty cool...but no radioactivity or ioniozing radiation used.

Machine uses a strong magnetic field and radio frequency sound to make images.

[RDTroja]

I like to turn it back on them.  I ask them if they have smoke detectors, have had an x-ray or, heavens, an MRI, ask them if they are frequent fliers, if they smoke or live near a coal fired plant, have a glow-in-the-dark watch, work in a granite building or have a basement in bedrock.  Then I tell them just how much more radiation exposure they get per year than I do working at a Nuclear Power Plant.  That pretty much shuts them up.

CAT Scan, not MRI. CAT Scan uses X-Rays.

[Starkist]

MRI's can involve using gadolinium or iodine tracers which do in fact produce ionizing radiation.


But I digress, the point remains the same...

[sjyu]

"artificial radiation"

Now there is a new one for me. 

Sir, don't worry about that Cobalt 60 gamma.....its artificial.  I like it 

Ok, ok, I mistyped.   I meant man-made.  I'm taking the Colorado state NRRPT prep class, and he talks about natural vs artificial decay series ...so the word is in my brain for a little bit.

It's just so annoying that people don't want to learn anything. I live in a neighborhood behind a small research reactor. When the community learned of it they were all up in arms and trying to get petitions going to close down the reactor-even though it had been in operation since the 60's with no problems and long before the houses were built.  They arugued  "If it's so safe, why do they have radiation detectors all along the fence line? Why do I see people taking water samples all over the place?"   I don't like to argue with people, especially those who learned their science from the Simpsons.  I know just enough to be a nuisance when explaining things.

After Japan, they got stupid again until I looked at them  during the  HOA meeting and said, "Well, if we ever have a mag. 9  earthquake followed by a 40ft tsunami here, what's going on across the fence line will be the least of our worries."

Now I just say I work in safety and leave it at that, unless someone else brings it up.

[Marlin]

Ok, ok, I mistyped.   I meant man-made.  I'm taking the Colorado state NRRPT prep class, and he talks about natural vs artificial decay series ...so the word is in my brain for a little bit.

It's just so annoying that people don't want to learn anything. I live in a neighborhood behind a small research reactor. When the community learned of it they were all up in arms and trying to get petitions going to close down the reactor-even though it had been in operation since the 60's with no problems and long before the houses were built.  They arugued  "If it's so safe, why do they have radiation detectors all along the fence line? Why do I see people taking water samples all over the place?"   I don't like to argue with people, especially those who learned their science from the Simpsons.  I know just enough to be a nuisance when explaining things.

After Japan, they got stupid again until I looked at them  during the  HOA meeting and said, "Well, if we ever have a mag. 9  earthquake followed by a 40ft tsunami here, what's going on across the fence line will be the least of our worries."

Now I just say I work in safety and leave it at that, unless someone else brings it up.

I would comment further but that would put us fully in PolySci.

[JasonConner]

I was at work the other day, and two people were discussing zombies, and whether or not a zombie apocalypse could ever happen.  One of the people said that a zombie apocalypse could happen if we had a "nukular (sic) attack."  I set about explaining the biological effects of radiation, along with the hematopoietic, gastrointestinal tract, and central nervous system syndromes, as well as the phases within each syndrome.  They looked at me with blank expressions.  I am not sure if I got through to them, but I tried.

[Rennhack]

I don't typically get any 'ignorant' people type conversations about radiation.  Most people I talk to are fascinated, and very eager to learn more.

Now.... I have run into people like that when it comes to politics and religion.  Those are subjects I almost never get into with anyone. (As is witnessed by my participation here in the PolySci area.)  I remember when I was at Battelle Columbus, we used to talk politics and Religion to pass the time.  You know the type.  They have a belief that some one told them to have, but don't really know why.  Then they try to justify it.  Like a conservative person that votes Democrat because his union tells him to (Those are my favorite). -- Of course, I did a lot of things at Battelle I wouldn't recommend others do... like play Liars Poker on the clock.

[Chimera]

How do you handle social gatherings when your profession comes up? Other then changing the subject before you are blamed for every nuclear incident in the last century. 

That's actually a tricky thing to handle . . . or, at least, to handle well.  I've had it come up in all sorts of situations from class reunions to the laundymat.  All I can say is to answer the questions directly and simply without any long-winded explanations.  If additional questions come up, treat them the same. 

My most successful confrontation occured at the laundrymat at Indian Point when one of the other customers noticed my nuclear subject t-shirts.  Everyone else in the laundrymat either joined in or, at least, paid attention during our discussion.  But I kept it simple and matter-of-fact.

There used to be an anti-nuke group that set up a booth at the Lake County fair back in the '70's.  I would look for them every year and engage them in a discussion about their opinions and where they got their facts and ideas from.  It turned out that the preponderance of their facts came from the problems with the Columbia River in the Handford area.  Once I knew where their "facts" were coming from, I could deal with them simply and matter-of-factly without calling them stupid or ill-informed.

Just like at work, the key is to keep it simple without directly challenging their closely held beliefs.  If you call someone stupid for believing the moon is made of green cheese, they will defend their belief to their death regardless of the facts because you have challenged their ego.  Don't do that and you'll be more successful in your "discussions".  As long as you understand that you probalby won't change their opinions, just keep to the facts and keep it simple.  Others listening in will hear the difference and will be more likely to be persuaded by your simple honesty.

[GLW]

MRI's can involve using gadolinium or iodine tracers which do in fact produce ionizing radiation.


But I digress, the point remains the same...

Misleading,....

Contrast materials enhance MRI, they are not fundamental to the function or practicality of MRI.

Scintigraphy contrast materials are ionizing as part of their fundamental function, regardless of which imaging study the patient is to receive.

Are you not the same snarky fella who chimed in once that RP's should stick to RP?

Goose and gander pal, unless of course, you were wrong?!?!?

(sic)

[Starkist]

Misleading,....
Contrast materials enhance MRI, they are not fundamental to the function or practicality of MRI.

Lets review my statement one more time.

MRI's can involve using gadolinium or iodine tracers which do in fact produce ionizing radiation.
But I digress, the point remains the same...

Also, no. I don't recall making a statement that "RP's should stick to RP", nor does that have any relevance to medical diagnostic imaging. Im going to ask you to leave this crap in polysci please.

[Fermi2]

Most of the time people are polite and try to at least listen. The only Anti's that have gotten belligerent are a couple girl cousins I have. I simply tell them to STFU.

As for the general public. The first thing I try to remember is most are technically illiterate and are raised in the magic box age.
Second: Regardless of how they get I represent my employer like it or not. I try my best in explaining, that's all I can do.

My favorite times were when my kids were in school. One of the teachers had questions about nuclear power so I answered them. She was so pleased with my explanations she asked if I'd speak to her class. I ended up doing that for both my kids for the next 8 years. Many times the same kids would be there and as they grew older I delved more into various items. What I was gratified to see
were the last few years parents would show up and even those who were anti nukes or on the rope about it said my explanations were simple, made sense and they could see that even though I was positive about nuclear power I did not try to convince their kids to be either pro or anti nuke though one of the antis did tell me a statement I made had a huge impact on her views that being I and my family lived 9 miles from the plant and if I thought I was putting them in danger I would not be operating a nuclear plant.

I guess the only negative encounter I have had was when I was in the Navy. I was on a flight from Denver to Cleveland wearing my dress blues. An older guy (well older to me, late 30s!!) asked me what my rating badge meant. I told him I was a Machinist Mate and I operated nuclear reactors. We discussed nuclear power in general and he then said "I'm pro nuke but for everyone's sake I hope one of those babies doesn't go critical because a lot of people might die" I pretty much lit into him about Pro Nukes who are clueless are worse than anti's who are clueless. We didn't talk much the rest of the trip.

[hamsamich]

Had someone get all in my face about what an abberation and how unnatural nuclear power was.  It felt so good watching her expression when I told her about the old underground natural nuclear reactors that operated in Africa billions of years ago.  Of course she picked a new reason to hate nuclear power, but for that one brief second, bliss!

[thenukeman]

I remind people that the sun is a nuclear reactor and nothing would live without it.  That usually shuts them up. 

[Rennhack]

I pretty much lit into him

That is so out of character of you.

[GLW]

Also, no. I don't recall making a statement that "RP's should stick to RP", nor does that have any relevance to medical diagnostic imaging. Im going to ask you to leave this crap in polysci please.

yeah you did, and IIRC, you then scrubbed that post and others on June 25th, 2011, about a week after broadzilla called you on it on June 17th, you also edited the OP that same day, all after about a week of catching flak on the thread for that and other bonehead rants,...

you were getting busted on for sharing stuff you shouldn't, you took offense that RP's piped up on an operator's BWR thread...

Whether they are RP Techs or not is immaterial. What they are are industry veterans who understand when something is issued by your utility it's meant to stay within your utility unless someone of sufficient authority gives a written release.
I'll venture a guess your utility has a procedure that says exactly that.

it's a sometime theme of yours to post things that violate the decorum of threads,...

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,33640.msg157859.html#msg157859

and then scrub it up later after getting called on it;

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,33640.msg157871.html#msg157871

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,33640.msg157908.html#msg157908

that's all fine and good,......no one is perfect,.....no need to deny it later,...

PS - this has nothing to do with polysci,....it's just truth in advertising,...

[Rennhack]

yeah you did, and IIRC, you then

GLW is  , you aren't gonna get anything past him.  Lord knows I try.