Tag Archives: cancer

Chemical Exposures: The Good, the Bad, and the Tiny

Posted on June 12, 2019 by Thoughtscapism

I have often written about the lack of perspective on chemical scares, which is why I was happy to find out that Swedish Professor Emeritus in toxicology, Lennart Dencker, has written a book on this topic called “Not as dangerous … Continue reading →

Posted in biology, chemistry, environment, health, nutrition, science communication | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

“What About Chernobyl?” World’s Deadliest Energy Accidents in Perspective

Posted on April 11, 2019 by Thoughtscapism

Whenever nuclear power comes up in discussions online, more often than not someone declares that all anyone needs to know can be said with one word: Chernobyl. This name evokes a chilling reaction in most of us, and the idea … Continue reading →

Posted in energy, environment, health, nuclear, renewables | Tagged , | 23 Comments

Radiation Exposures at a Glance

Posted on December 17, 2018 by Thoughtscapism

Inspired by a risk conference I attended, I decided to try my hand at visual demonstrations of toxicological safety limits and pesticide exposures. It struck me that the same kind of visualisation might work well for a demonstrating radiation dosages. I … Continue reading →

Posted in biology, health, nuclear | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Do we fear the right things?

Posted on July 21, 2018 by Thoughtscapism

I had the privilege of giving a public presentation at a large Finnish political discussion and debate fair Suomi Areena for the Finnish Ecomodernist Society in Pori a few days ago. (Finnish readers can view the presentation here – skip over to … Continue reading →

Posted in biotechnology, health, nutrition, psychology | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Risk In Perspective: Hazards Are Not All Created Equal

Posted on March 8, 2018 by Thoughtscapism

This series is a collaboration between neuroscientist Alison Bernstein and biologist Iida Ruishalme. Errors in risk perception are at the core of so many issues in science communication that we think this is a critical topic to explore in detail. … Continue reading →

Posted in health, society, vaccines | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Radiation and Cancer Risk – What Do We Know?

Posted on March 1, 2018 by Thoughtscapism

I recently visited Switzerland’s interim repository for nuclear waste, called ZWILAG, and wrote about the insights gained during that experience in Warming My Hands On Nuclear Waste. While in the heart of the place – the dry cask storage hall which houses … Continue reading →

Posted in health, nuclear | Tagged , , | 14 Comments

Risk In Perspective: Hazard and Risk Are Critically Different Things

Posted on February 27, 2018 by Thoughtscapism

This series is something neuroscientist Alison Bernstein and biologist Iida Ruishalme have been brewing over for a long time. Risk perception is such a big crux in science communication that it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on. We decided … Continue reading →

Posted in health, science communication | Tagged , | 8 Comments

IARC Under Fire from Scientists: Mission Outdated, Methods Lacking

Posted on November 6, 2016 by Thoughtscapism

Considering recently published scientific reviews on the International Agency on Cancer Research (IARC) concerning their methods and overall mission, as well as their specific conclusion on glyphosate, I thought the topic deserved an update of its own. I have written … Continue reading →

Posted in health, science, society | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

The Perils of Science Speak

Posted on November 4, 2016 by Thoughtscapism

What would you say if you were worried about chemical X in your environment, and to reassure you, someone told you: Scientists finished their devious plot called project ABC, which looks at chemicals in our homes to see if they are … Continue reading →

Posted in linguistics, meta, science communication | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

1. Does Glyphosate Cause Cancer?

Posted on September 7, 2016 by Thoughtscapism

The first in my series of 17 Questions About Glyphosate is the one topic made famous by a somewhat confusing classification system of potential cancer hazards. Much media and public attention on glyphosate followed after World Health Organisation subgroup, International Agency for Research … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, health | Tagged , , | 3 Comments