Now that we all know who Art Robinson is -- and wow -- let's take a look at one of the Oregon Republican's big ideas, hormesis. Essentially, hormesis holds that low-level radiation is good for you, that it's healing.
Merriam-Webster helps us out this way, defining hormesis as "a theoretical phenomenon of dose-response relationships in which something (as a heavy metal or ionizing radiation) that produces harmful biological effects at moderate to high doses may produce beneficial effects at low doses." So far, so good.
As you can see in the video from Radiation Hormesis above, there's now a whole subculture attached to this idea, and it gets interesting in a hurry. Wanna buy a Green Stone that "was commonly used in Atlantis and Lemuria because of its general healing properties"? Radiation Hormesis will tell you all about it.
Interesting, um ... interview?
As an academic myself, I just can't get past someone who feels the need to repeatedly remind his audience that "I am a scientist ... and a good one too!" It makes me want to reply, "And I am just a caveman. I don't understand your modern ideas about hormesis or government-sponsored campaigns to spread AIDS. I'm ... just a caveman."
Re: Cocnerned Taxpayers of America--this may be simplistic, but don't they have to be incorporated somwhere? Incorporation records should give up more info that the letterhead and the fEC filing. Just a thought. Keep on beating the drum!
What an apt reference... to cavemen -- Art Robinson's home town is listed on Twitter as "Cave Junction, Oregon".
LOL
Artie, you're a 'scientist' alright....a MAD one, in every sense of the word.
I would just like to say: I love you, Rachel. I'm so sorry for Art Robinson having a psychotic break on your program. Maybe it's radiation sickness that affects his definition of sarcastic and an unwillingness to SUPPORT HIS OWN BELIEFS!
Keep up the GREAT work, sister.
Wacky.........Just wacky.
You mean the guy on Rachel's show (dammit, I'm a scientist, not a politician!) or the video above, which advances the idea that cancer is actually micro-toxins from fungus eating dead cells in our bodies?
Beware! The fungus is among us!
He's a scientist who can't tell the difference between the speed of sound (761.6 mph) and the speed of light (186,282 mps). What an embarrassment to Cal-Tech! If he actually got a degree from there.
When "faster than the speed of light" came out of his mouth, my first thought was somebody needs to check his academic credentials. I strongly question his association with Cal-Tech, or any other science college anywhere. Or he failed physics and never watches the Science Channel???
Even my 15-year-old knows that so far, nothing goes faster than the speed of light in our universe. It seems to be a limit we can't cross. We may be able to get around it some day, but we can't violate it outright.
If he's going to be an arrogant SOB, he should at least have all his facts right and be able to defend his own positions. It seems all these Tea Party candidates are running as fast as they can from their crack-pot positions because they realize they sound pretty crazy to the general electorate.
His performance will hopefully help Pete DeFazio fill up his campaign coffers with lots of national donations.
I just wonder when someone feels the need to repeatedly claim, "I am a scientist and a good one too." It makes me want to reply, "And I'm just a caveman. I can't understand your modern ideas about healthy radiation and government-sponsored AIDS epidemics ..."
"I'm a scientist and I'M OK (I sleep all night and campaign all day)"
Yes! Good one.
Hormesis just sounds like a way of hurting yourself to invoke an immune response. But I don't think that's why Robinson used that for a justification. It's blatantly obvious to me that his life revolves around the nuclear energy industry and if he can soften the image of nuclear waste with some new age radiation cures junk then he'll ride that bandwagon.
It's all fun and games until the radioactive ZOMBIES come to get you!
I think you would probably do more good if you picked up the rock & hit yourself over the head with it.It won't cure you but it may induce amnesia for a while giving you a break from the worry.
Once again you have proven yourself and your staff to be truly thoughtful in any interview you conduct. I was so excited to see that you had someone from "the dark side" on your show last night, but watching that yahoo self destruct in front of the camera was almost painful. I kept thinking that he had mistaken you for Deborah Jeane Palfrey, and that we would see David Vitter in a diaper at any moment, although I doubt that SHE was called madam as much as you were. By the end of the interview, I was literally falling over in my chair hysterically laughing. Please Rachel, for the LOVE OF THE HUMAN RACE, do not do too many of these GOP interviews on your show, my body is getting older and cannot take much more of this rolling around on the floor.
OMG!!!--Please Rachel-dont do it again!!! I almost felt the need for "life alert" , but, my husband was there to help me off the floor!!!
Rachel is one of the best political news commentators around--she is always willing to let you have your say-no matter the slant. She just doesnt let you get away with misleading/obtrusive/meandering info - ok - LIES.
Robinson was backed into a corner, as are most of the TEAParty candidates, when questioned about his past comments/writings/beliefs - ok - LIFE. It is so interesting to watch them self - destruct - ok - HOISTED ON THEIR OWN ...PETARDS (sp?)
NOV3--will be a interesting day to say the least!!!
If hormesis is real then I should be able to eat an apple core each day and build up my resistance to cyanide poisoning.
First thing I hear this morning from my cube neighbor, "did you watch Maddow last night?" "I sure did." Next thing you know two rows of cube are discussing the merits, or lack thereof, of Hormesis.
Favorite part of the interview, Rachel banging her head on the desk out of frustration.
Keep up the good work everyone at TRMS!
When asked, "How did you make all your money?" the illiterate pimp said, "Hormesis".
I know. That was bad.
Pirelli's Miracle Elixir
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGigBiz_FdQ&feature=related
HAh! Perfection.
Ladies and Gentlemen - May I have your attention, please?!
Do you wake every morning in shame and despair to discover your pillow is covered with hair, while naught should be there?
Well, ladies and gentlemen - from now on you can waken at ease!
You need never again have a worry or care, I will show you a miracle, marvelous, rare!!
Gentlemen, you are about to see something wot rose from the dead - on the top of my head!
Twas Pirelli's Miracle Elixir,
That's what did the trick, sir,
True, sir, true.
Was it quick sir?
Did it in a tick, sir,
Just like an elixir ought to do!
How about a bottle mister?
Only costs a penny guaranteed!
Atlantis? The basis of his science is in something culled from... Atlantis? What? The bible was not good enough?
ARE THERE NO SANE PEOPLE RUNNING IN OPPOSITION IN THIS ELECTION!!!???!!!???!!!
Holy Crap!
The only upside to them gaining office is; when the UFO lands in front of the capital building, and the aliens demand we "Take them to our leaders!" we can point to that new congress. Perhaps they will have something in common to talk about. Who knows?
Hopefully the aliens would make a meal of them.
I understand why the idea that low level radiation may actually be beneficial, but I don't think there is any evidence that supports the idea. Because of its use to battle cancer, I think there is a part of our minds that thinks that maybe it can be something healthful in some circumstances. In addition, there is natural radiation that comes from the rocks around us, and the amount varies depending on the types of rocks and your location. There is also radiation from extraterrestrial sources, such as the Sun and cosmic rays. You can calculate your average annual radiation dose at this EPA site:
http://www.epa.gov/radiation/understand/calculate.html
However, one thing that Robinson seems to forget is that if you spread radioactive dust, even at low levels, all over the US, it will naturally end up being concentrated by wind and rain. Runoff from storms will wash this radioactive dust into streams and river, deposting and concentrating it in lakes and oceans, similar to what we see with pesticides washing off of agricultural lands, but on a much wider basis.
If I had to quibble with the interview, it would be that Rachel should heve let Robinson speak more. I know she was trying to make some points, but I think the most effective way to show what a nut this guy is would be to let him hang himself with his own words, much like Rand Paul did on her show a few months ago. The more that voters hear the words of Paul, Angle, O'Donnell and other far right candidates, the less they like them. I think Rachel missed an opportunity to let Robinson fully display how far out his ideas really are.
Not to mention that radiation treatment is highly targeted. Radiation kills cells indiscriminately. The idea that increasing overall radiation levels could be healthful is unsupported by everything we know about radiation.
I am perfectly willing....no, I am eager to hear his scientific explanation as to why he believes low level radiation is beneficial. I have degrees in a couple areas of science, and he does too, so I'm sure I could understand anything he would have to say to support his assertion. What little he had to say about AIDS and global warming makes me think, however, that he is making his scientific rationales subservient to his ideology, and as such, I think he has forfeited his right to say he is a scientist as justification for his ideas. If I said the earth was a cube made out of styrofoam, and then just started yelling, "I'm a scientist, and a good one too!", that wouldn't make my outlandish assertion any more valid. Crap is crap, no matter what the person spewing the crap claims they are.
Another problem with spent nuclear fuel is the chemical toxicity of fission products and plutonium. Not the sort of crop-dusting I'm in favor of.
I think there should be serious consideration given to firing nuclear waste into space, preferably firing it into the Sun or as a last resort, the Moon. NASA is currently doing serious engineering studies of launching spacecraft using magnetic tracks. The same thing is already being put on the newest US aircraft carriers, so it's not pie in the sky vaporware. Setting up a track to fire a small slug of radioactive material into the Sun would be a lot easier than setting one up to launch a manned spacecraft, as the radioactive material can be accelerated much faster than a manned spacecraft, (maybe 100g's or better, compared to the 3 gs of a shuttle launch. That would allow the track to be much shorter and cheaper. If the entire Earth fell into the Sun, it wouldn't have any effect on the Sun at all, so sending the paltry amounts of radioactive waste we have into the Sun would certainly be safe. It would also have the benefit of removing this material from ever being used by terrorists to make dirty bombs.
Check this out: http://oklo.curtin.edu.au/
They're studying the geology of the reactors to improve undergound waste disposal methods.
I am a huge TRMS fan and progressive. I also agree with this @Uffdaguy, and expressed exactly what I was thinking as I watched your interview:
I'll put it this way: Your viewers are quite perceptive progressives. If you just lay out the evidence, it almost has more impact than fully explaining it. I think what happens is you get quite wound up in making your own points. In this case, just letting the wacko talk for a minute would show his craziness more than you telling us he is crazy.
Well Rachel, I think you might have let Mr. Robinson just keep talking so we could hear what he said. You didn't need to "save" him. I know it is your show but he seemed to have his agenda already in place so allowing him to make an even greater fool of himself would have worked since he failed to realize how rude he was. In fact, he looked like he thought he was clever; poor soul. One only hopes people in his district in Oregon were watching. Where did/does he teach? Anyway, it was a strain to watch and all for the sake of "balance" politically.
Keep up your good work.
Rachel, here's a question you should have ax'd AR, to paraphrase the in famous I-95 Song by August:
Were you born an @!$%# or have you worked at your whole life and are you drunk or stoned?
Rachel, here's a question should have ax'd AR, to paraphrase the in famous I-95 song by August:
Mr. Robertson, were you born an @!$%# or have you worked at your whole life and are drunk or stoned?
If this guy wins I predict that ground zero of the radioactive ZOMBIES will come from Oregon by 2016.
I had to turn off the sound after 5 minutes of listening to this guy interrupt and talk over Rachel constantly. I was experiencing extreme anxiety from his rude behavior. He was not there for an interview but to give himself a chance to trash his opponent and MSNBC and their staff. It is sad that there are so many political candidates like this in the current elections. I'm praying that all of these nut jobs get defeated in November.
Hi Rachel, I was so looking forward to hearing a discussion from a member of the opposite party. I couldn't believe the misplaced anger and totally ridiculous statements coming from Mr. Robinson. If he represents the opposite side, please cancel any further appearances. I had a hard time listening to your attempted interview, almost wished you had shut him down, but I knew you wouldn't do that. I felt so bad for you, although I think it just represented the bizarre, unbelievable and hateful voice from so many members of the right. (Proof positive)
What, no granite counter tops for sale? I remember a campaign to change New Hampshire's nickname because granite is radioactive.
I hate to say this, but I'm actually enjoying politics right now, in the "holy crap, look at that plane crash" kind of way.
I know it's not good for the country to have these weird people elected, but I can't help myself enjoying seeing the weirdness on TV. It's one thing to see things like "hormesis" on the internet, where we can find wackos that think all sorts of bazaar things and have a place to expound it to the universe. But to see it unveiled in all it's wacky amusing goodness on nation TV just brings it to a new level.
we are witnessing the "fracturing of the Republican Party". I think they are using methods of data extraction based on the horizontal drilling (fracking) of shale to produce natural gas by introducing hundreds of chemicals and high pressure air, (hydraulic fracturing) to break up the rocks.
They succeeded in getting the gas, the Tea Party slate of candidates, but left a poisonous residue that has fouled the water and air. In the meantime the Republican ship has developed so many leaks it is floundering in a sea of
Holy Mackerel, What's Next!!
I have to give Rachel a LOT of credit for sitting through that "interview" (that's in quotes because I don't know what else to call it) without once telling that quack to shut the hell up. I'm with Jamdog on this: The very fact that he had to continually tell us that, "I'm a scientist - a GOOD one" led me to believe that he hasn't graduated from anything, let alone CalPoly or wherever it was he claimed to have received a degree from. I can't believe anyone actually nominated a blowhard like this guy. THAT is what they want representing them in Congress? Man, the GOP is really scraping the bottom of the barrel on this one.
Cal-Tech which is around the corner from me right now. No way he was at Cal-Tech.
Maria you sure he didn't attend a weekend seminar? Because this seems to be the standard for some of the tea party candidates.
He didn't say which degrees he held.
People tend to say where they got their advanced degrees. In academe, it's a means of placing yourself on the pecking order.
Anyone who will not state their type of degree, or in which discipline it was earned, is lying. Period.
At most, they might hold a bs.
Here is the 2005 press release from the National Academy of Sciences
concerning the release of the report "Health Risks from Exposure to
Low Levels of Ionizing Radiation," which is the so-called BEIR VII
Phase 2 report:
http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=11340
This begins with:
Low Levels of Ionizing Radiation May Cause Harm
WASHINGTON -- A preponderance of scientific evidence shows that
even low doses of ionizing radiation, such as gamma rays and X-rays,
are likely to pose some risk of adverse health effects, says a new
report from the National Academies' National Research Council.
The following statement is included in the news release:
"The scientific research base shows that there is no threshold of
exposure below which low levels of ionizing radiation can be
demonstrated to be harmless or beneficial," said committee chair
Richard R. Monson, associate dean for professional education and
professor of epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston.
Lemuria? Did someone say LEMURIA? Jeeze, I have not heard of that for years. Dated a woman in the late '80's whose "psychologist" (I think he may have had an actual degree in something or other, but do not quote me on that) encouraged her to study the teachings of Lazaris. Guy named Jach Purcell who channels this space alien from Lemuria or some such (cannot remember exactly) and held pricey "seminars" in Orlando. Part of the study was to listen to the Lazaris music. I still have 5 cd's. Pretty good herb music, kind of like Eno on an off day, but not bad once you vapo a bit.
The CD's are: "Through the Vortex with Lazaris"; "Journey with Lazaris"; "Lazaris Remembers Lemuria"; "Prelude to Lazaris' and "Lazaris: A Spark of Love".
Just checked and the website is still up: http://www.lazaris.com/newvisitor.cfm
Interesting back story on the whole thing, including his ex wife, Peny (Odd spellings, yes - they all changed their names to odd spellings I guess upon direction of Lazaris) who died under mysterious circumstances.
I knew the guy you had on was a whack job and the interview was a hoot, but I missed the Lemuria bit until today as I was watching the Real Housewives of DC finale (go to the 8th floor and blame Andy Cohen for scheduling opposite you, please) and bouncing back and forth to your show.
Wow, long post and all I wanted to do was congratulate you for getting an R on -- and what an R.
Be seeing You!
Quick random thing I couldn't resist:
Low-level radiation from a mysterious green rock with unknown properties? Don't you people know what that did to Lex Luthor?
The first time I have ever clicked fast forward on your show. That guy was a passive-agressive, self-infatuated JERK! Wow, how I wished you would have just turned him off and laughed at him.