Reply #63: Well the question of hormesis arose, as I understand it, because

[NNadir]

there seemed to be lower incidences of cancer among radiation workers rather than the expected higher incidence. It also seems clear that the linear hypothesis by which the effects of low level radiation were modeled by linear extrapolation from atomic bomb victims is probably invalid.

I'm sure the mechanisms of biological interactions with radiation are very complex indeed, but the public policy ramifications are nonetheless clear. Nuclear facilities are much lower risk than the public is aware. This has lead to some very foolish choices in the energy equation. Of course, a few decades ago, nuclear risks were calculated and not derived by analysis of the actual operating conditions, so maybe then the excessive caution was warranted. Today though, with our atmosphere and land under violent assault for the purposes of providing energy, excess caution is actually killing us.