I apologize for any comments that may have been offensive to Mr. Mann.

I wrote the response at 4 am after waking at 12:30am and not being able to
get back to sleep, so my aggravation factor was fairly high.

As far as the differences in my posts, one was based on the data presented
at that time based on five years of rehashing this subject. The next
commented on the more recent data.

My problem with the post that started this is the unfounded supposition
that high voltage lines might cause problems, and it is just that we do not
see them. That is what I read, but it may not have been the writers intent.
With my scientific background, I have to reject that when there are no
studies backing up the statement. Otherwise, we will be chasing after
ephemera with every assertion of truth without proof.

As far as the Russian study, I was trying to be generous. I took the
comments on the study at its face value, but there are many questions that
I would like answered before I would agree that high voltage lines caused
the effects noted. For example, what were the lab and field conditions?
What was measured in the hives including temperature and field effects?
What were the controls? What were the conditions of the power lines? What
were the differences in the effects in the lab compared to the field? What
environmental factors were present? Lots of questions.

For the answers, you need the study. There is bad science as well as good
science and until you can read the study, you do not know if it is bad or
good. In our present age, there is a lot of bad science being used to
promote agendas. You see it in the papers almost daily. Just look at the
two sides of global warming or genetically engineered crops.

Or ask a question to two beekeepers.

A healthy skepticism is needed to wade through the conflicting claims.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, ME
who needs more sleep