Without getting too specific, since I have little time right now, I
will say that how much a presentation convinces depends not only on
the presentation itself, but on the context in the mind of the reader
and history.
A fresh young mind has little bias, and is convinced with little
evidence. Older minds take on some inertia and each new idea is
diluted by experiences remembered.
Of course epiphanies do happen, but this one study did not trigger one
for me. I have far toomany memories of previous marvelous products
which passed tests, and were widely admired, but which turned out to
have subtle and long-lasting effects, some of which were devastating.
I personally know people damaged by pesticides applied as recommended.
We are talking here about a chemical here which the manufacturer wants
to spread over the face of the Earth. Even the thought of that is
entirely repugnant to me.
There are other things I know, but do not speak which influence my opinion, too.
In addition to all that, in the same Conference sessions, we heard
talk of interractions and also demonstrations of serious adverse
effects from contact doses of as low as 0.5 ppb of a chemical which we
were assured b y leading scientists would not have any significant
effects at levels ten times that, and which were 'proven' by them by
such field trials.
As for the test itself, there were far too few hives, measured for too
few factors, at only one site, at only one time, and the variance
within the study was hinted, but not revealed.
I could write a book about this, but life is too short. I hope I have
given a hint of why I am not too impressed.
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