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Is Chernobyl Still Dangerous? Was 60 Minutes Pushing Propaganda?
An anonymous reader writes:
This article has an interesting take on how the media is presenting the current Chernobyl situation. Its author, Ron Adams, is a long time nuclear advocate, so read with that in mind. Adams critiques a recent CBS 60 Minutes broadcast that took pains to show how dangerous the area still is. He writes, "The show is full of fascinating contrasts between what the cameras show to the audience and what the narrator tells the audience that they should believe. ... I correspond with a number of experts in fields related to radiation, radioactive waste management, site restoration, and the health effects of low level radiation. There has been quite a bit of discussion about the misinformation propagated by this particular 60 Minutes segment."
Yes, indeed. You hear the most outrageous lies about it. Half-baked goggle-box do-gooders telling everybody it's bad for you. Pernicious nonsense!
No... that would be giving you two negatives in response to the headline, and we all know a double negative is a positive, which is exactly the opposite of what Betteridge's law demands. And of course we also can't very well answer just one in the negative, as the other would then be answered in the positive and still be violating the law. So clearly the only logical resolution is to split the difference and answer both in the imaginary!
Is Chernobyl Still Dangerous? Fairy Dust!
Was 60 Minutes Pushing Propaganda? Unicorns!
There, see? That cleared everything up nicely, no need to panic. No seriously, just relax and step away from the refreshments. The unicorns were hanging out over there earlier, and I now can't find the fairy dust - I think they may have spiked the punch. And believe me you do NOT want to get hopped up on fairy dust when you're emotionally distraught, it could be weeks before your legs will stay attached again.
--- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
I asked my friend in Chernobyl about this... he said he and his family watched this via the internet, and they thought it was so ridiculous that he and his kids practically laughed their feelers off.
Liberal arts educated journalists vs. science is an old story. And on 60 Minutes in particular, the journalists themselves probably support evolution only because of their personal experience in having pet dinosaurs as kids.