What's New Robert L. Park 17 Sep 2010

WHAT'S NEW   Robert L Park   Friday, 17 Sep 2010   Washington, DC

1.  E-NEWS: IS IT NEWS, OR IS IT ENTERTAINMENT?
Print news seems headed for extinction, displaced by virtually=20
instantaneous e-news.  E-news comes to us from all over the world by way =
of=20
satellite communications and is relayed by hundreds of TV channels, Googl=
e,=20
Wikipedia, countless blogs, cell phones, smart phones, tweets, etc.  Most=
=20
of these sources don't even have an editor. Timely information is=20
important, but some of it is simply wrong.  Is this part of some sinister=
=20
plan? There is no plan. Trust me, E-news sources simply evolve. It's=20
remarkably similar to Darwinian evolution. Science creates mutations in t=
he=20
form of new communications devices, and the public does the "natural=20
selection" by deciding which devices they prefer.  The public, however,=20
often prefers to be entertained rather than informed.   Thus it is that t=
he=20
respected news industry is being subsumed within the entertainment=20
industry.  In the Age of Science more news time by far is devoted to=20
celebrity gossip.=20

2.  CELL PHONES: LATEST REPORT FROM THE PRESIDENT=92S CANCER PANEL.
The new report emphasizes environmental causes of cancer, most of which a=
re=20
chemical. It does call for a reduction in exposure to "electromagnetic=20
radiation" from medical x-rays, but at least in press accounts, fails to=20
make clear that x-ray wavelengths are millions of times shorter than the=20
photoelectric threshold in the near ultraviolet, which is also the cancer=
=20
threshold. Cell phone radiation, in which wavelengths are a million times=
=20
longer than the photoelectron threshold also got a mention:  "In this=20
regard, the use of cell phones and other wireless technology is of great=20
concern. There is no research to support a link to cancer and contemporar=
y=20
cell phone use, but the research on cancer and other disease risk from=20
modern wireless devices is extremely limited and cancer, and identifying=20
those mechanisms." The panel urged additional research on the possible=20
links between electromagnetic fields and disease. This is the staple, mor=
e-
research-is-needed line. The public deserves a clear statement of what is=
=20
known in language they can understand, both from the media and the scienc=
e=20
establishment.=20

3. FREE SPEECH: COMMITMENT TO THE FIRST AMENDMENT.
Last week I defended the right of a barely coherent Baptist preacher to=20
burn the Koran, or for that matter the Holy Bible or any other religious=20
text. "Why shouldn't he as long as he pays for the books and doesn't=20
violate any municipal burning ordinance?"  Some thought that line was=20
irresponsible.  I have never burned a Koran or a Holy Bible, but I defend=
=20
anyone's right to do so.  Thousands of Americans have died and are still=20
dying  to defend the Constitution. I stand with them.  Meanwhile, in=20
Damascus, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused the US government of orchestrati=
ng=20
desecrations of the Koran with about 1000 protesters chanting death to=20
America. There were also riots over the non-burning in Kashmir, but there=
=20
are always Muslim riots in Kashmir. =20

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND.
Opinions are the author's and not necessarily shared by the
University of Maryland, but they should be.
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