stand up for REAL science

How can a non-scientist figure out which news reports to believe?

Wine is good for you. Wine is bad for you. Carbohydrates should be avoided. Carbohydrates aren't as bad as red meat. An aspirin a day will help you live longer. Aspirin can hurt you.

Most of us aren't science researchers - how are we supposed to tell the good news from the junk?

Although my mother had exquisite taste in interior design, I've never been one to follow trends in home decor. What I like, I like, and I don't usually worry about whether anyone outside our family approves of what we've done with our home. We recently finished remodeling three bathrooms and our kitchen, and I have to admit I did adopt one trend in kitchen design: we had granite countertops installed. I was sold on the fact that they're heat-resistant, easy to clean, and impervious to the younger kids' climbing adventures. Add to that my long love affair with natural materials, and granite was a logical choice.

But is the granite safe?

Recently, reports have surfaced that some granite countertops emit high levels of radon, a naturally-occurring (not man-made) radioactive (spontaneously emits energy or particles) inert (doesn't react with other substances) gas (easily inhaled). Radon exposure has been linked to increased occurrences of lung cancer.

How can a homeowner decide what to do?

This quote from the New York Times article What's Lurking in Your Countertop? contains some telling information [boldfaced by me], sandwiched in between quotes from granite suppliers and non-granite-countertop suppliers:

Allegations that granite countertops may emit dangerous levels of radon and radiation have been raised periodically over the past decade, mostly by makers and distributors of competing countertop materials. The Marble Institute of America has said such claims are "ludicrous" because although granite is known to contain uranium and other radioactive materials like thorium and potassium, the amounts in countertops are not enough to pose a health threat.

Indeed, health physicists and radiation experts agree that most granite countertops emit radiation and radon at extremely low levels. They say these emissions are insignificant compared with so-called background radiation that is constantly raining down from outer space or seeping up from the earth's crust, not to mention emanating from manmade sources like X-rays, luminous watches and smoke detectors.

Although consensus science isn't foolproof - it always comes back to evidence - when a layperson doesn't know beans about a topic, listening to what the recognized experts have to say is a wise choice. That's why we trust our mechanic to tune up our cars and surgeons to operate on our bodies, not the other way around.

My mother died of cancer one year ago today, and one of her few laments had to do with well-meaning friends who were as helpless as she was to stop the disease. They'd bring articles to her about strange and exotic cures, and anecdotes about how a certain diet saved a friend of a friend of a friend. "Why can't they trust my doctors to know what they're doing?" was her comment to me. Of course, she was much too polite to do any more than smile and say "Thank you" when yet another vitamin/herb/diet solution was proposed. Mom certainly wouldn't have let me risk her grandkids' health for a pretty countertop. She was smart enough to recognize when she needed to rely on the experts, when she needed to pray for guidance, and when headlines were written to excite rather than inform.

So Mom, here's to you and the rebels you raised - thanks for teaching us how to figure out difference between the gold and the dross!