Comments on: The Fast-Moving Nuclear Story Meets an Unscientific Press Corps

By: Matt B.

Matt B. — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 21:49:41 +0000

It’s too bad the host’s name isn’t really Alonya, as misspelled at the top of the post. She could use it in a tag line for the show: “If you’re the news, I’m all-on-ya.”

Man, that camera work is distracting enough for the viewer, it must have been really distracting for you, Chris.

By: Douglas Watts

Douglas Watts — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 12:28:15 +0000

There’s a number of factors here that surpass issues of scientific ‘literacy.’

First is that it is clear the plant operators have had little control over the situation; they are basically in a total panic mode. Second, TEPCO, like all corporations is reticent at releasing much usable information, even to the government, especially if the news is mostly or all bad. Third, by Tuesday radiation levels in the area immediate to the reactors was so high that all but about 50 workers were removed from the site and of those left they could only attempt to enter the buildings for 10 minute intervals. As of Wednesday the control rooms were too radioactive to enter. It’s difficult for even TEPCO to get much information if their own workers cannot get into the area without risking their lives. Lastly, the unknowns at this point exceed the knowns.

By: Nelson

Nelson — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:03:47 +0000

I have to say, my four year old grandson asks better questions then I’ve seen being reported!

By: TTT

TTT — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 14:17:23 +0000

Ask any biomedical researcher whether your heart is located in your chest or in your elbow and you’ll see some good old-fashioned scientific consensus and showing-of-hands pretty quickly.

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 12:58:27 +0000

Again with the ‘concensus’ word…it’s a good thing in politics, but very dangerous in science. Scientific ‘truth’ is never determined by the showing of hands, regardless of how ausgust or learned the owners of those hands are. When the concensus view is shown to be wrong, which it has often been, it demeans science and scientists, and undermines the public’s faith in the scientific process.

By: SilenceIsGolden

SilenceIsGolden — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 08:14:48 +0000

And until the U.S. catches up with reality – head over to BBC ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698 ) and watch their intelligent and informed live coverage. (I could recommend others, but they don’t broadcast in English.)

By: Marion Delgado

Marion Delgado — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 05:07:56 +0000

That was excellent, and you made the crucial point early on that it’s a hard story to cover.