Comments on: 72 years and counting http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2008/03/12/72-years-and-counting/ the blog that is not dansdata.com Sun, 06 Dec 2009 20:24:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: Daniel Rutter http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2008/03/12/72-years-and-counting/#comment-2278 Fri, 14 Mar 2008 14:28:39 +0000 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2008/03/12/72-years-and-counting/#comment-2278 Yeah - people who have asbestos <b>in their houses</b> are, generally, perfectly safe, because the stuff's bound up in wall panels and such and never gets into their lungs. There's lots of scary electricity in the walls of your house waiting to kill you, too, but you probably don't lie awake at night worrying about that. People who <b>worked</b> with asbestos or otherwise got lots of inhalation exposure are, of course, often in pretty big trouble; the actual mesothelioma rate is very low, but simple <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asbestosis" rel="nofollow">asbestosis</a> is no fun at all and is rampant among people who had such exposure (and surprisingly common even among people whose only exposure was dust from Dad's overalls). I also don't for a minute seek to minimise the culpability of the corporations who did the usual tobacco-industry dance over what they knew and when. But asbestos, for all its danger, does <b>work</b>, and it works very well. Asbestos wall panels insulate, asbestos brake pads stop cars. Snake-oil products often, at least, carry no intrinsic <i>risk</i>, but that's only because they do nothing at all. (And there are plenty of cases in which "harmless" snake oil <b>has</b> done harm, either by turning out not to be so harmless after all, or by displacing an effective product, or by simply taking time and money away from people that they would otherwise have used to actually improve their situation.) Yeah - people who have asbestos in their houses are, generally, perfectly safe, because the stuff's bound up in wall panels and such and never gets into their lungs. There's lots of scary electricity in the walls of your house waiting to kill you, too, but you probably don't lie awake at night worrying about that.

People who worked with asbestos or otherwise got lots of inhalation exposure are, of course, often in pretty big trouble; the actual mesothelioma rate is very low, but simple asbestosis is no fun at all and is rampant among people who had such exposure (and surprisingly common even among people whose only exposure was dust from Dad's overalls). I also don't for a minute seek to minimise the culpability of the corporations who did the usual tobacco-industry dance over what they knew and when.

But asbestos, for all its danger, does work, and it works very well. Asbestos wall panels insulate, asbestos brake pads stop cars. Snake-oil products often, at least, carry no intrinsic risk, but that's only because they do nothing at all.

(And there are plenty of cases in which "harmless" snake oil has done harm, either by turning out not to be so harmless after all, or by displacing an effective product, or by simply taking time and money away from people that they would otherwise have used to actually improve their situation.)

]]> by: pompomtom http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2008/03/12/72-years-and-counting/#comment-2277 Fri, 14 Mar 2008 12:30:25 +0000 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2008/03/12/72-years-and-counting/#comment-2277 &gt;Now we all know how that turned out Well, asbestos <b>did</b> at least do what it said on the tin. >Now we all know how that turned out

Well, asbestos did at least do what it said on the tin.

]]> by: Daniel.McCormick http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2008/03/12/72-years-and-counting/#comment-2276 Fri, 14 Mar 2008 09:17:14 +0000 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2008/03/12/72-years-and-counting/#comment-2276 Umm... Dan, Did you read the section of a different article on page 154A? It is about the miracle benefits of Asbestos in houses. Now we all know how that turned out so I suggest that this could be turned against the other article by those so inclined. Umm... Dan, Did you read the section of a different article on page 154A? It is about the miracle benefits of Asbestos in houses. Now we all know how that turned out so I suggest that this could be turned against the other article by those so inclined.

]]> by: adrian http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2008/03/12/72-years-and-counting/#comment-2272 Thu, 13 Mar 2008 10:03:11 +0000 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2008/03/12/72-years-and-counting/#comment-2272 In 60 years I hope we finally have electric cars, think how big the <a href="http://www.dansdata.com/batterylife.htm" rel="nofollow">batterylife activator</a> stickers will be! They could double as vinyl graphics... In 60 years I hope we finally have electric cars, think how big the batterylife activator stickers will be! They could double as vinyl graphics...

]]> by: MichaelWright http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2008/03/12/72-years-and-counting/#comment-2271 Thu, 13 Mar 2008 07:32:18 +0000 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2008/03/12/72-years-and-counting/#comment-2271 Well, I have a snake that's squeaky and gets very poor mileage. Well, I have a snake that's squeaky and gets very poor mileage.

]]> by: pompomtom http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2008/03/12/72-years-and-counting/#comment-2265 Wed, 12 Mar 2008 08:48:37 +0000 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2008/03/12/72-years-and-counting/#comment-2265 So, you reckon this racket has another 60 years in it? Anyone want to buy my snake oil? So, you reckon this racket has another 60 years in it?

Anyone want to buy my snake oil?

]]> by: rsynnott http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2008/03/12/72-years-and-counting/#comment-2264 Wed, 12 Mar 2008 03:20:59 +0000 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2008/03/12/72-years-and-counting/#comment-2264 Bah, beat me to it. I get the absurd inventions one, though! Bah, beat me to it. I get the absurd inventions one, though!

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