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Newswatch newswatch, JimL2 examines the news! News about news! Dateline: News
This morning, WOSU ran a short segment on compact fluorescent bulbs, the mercury in said bulbs, and how that mercury should be recycled. Two things about it:
1. The head of SWACO advised anyone who breaks a CFL to call the fire department for a hazmat cleanup. I suspect he's going to be getting a grouchy email from the fire chief's office.
2. Whoever produced the piece thought it necessary to interview an OSU professor of Biology in order to establish that--according to this particular scientist, mind you--mercury can be hazardous to your health.
I think this may be a new low in science reporting. I mean who exactly is the target audience for that information? Who needs to have their hand held through the formal proof that leads to the conclusion "mercury's not a good thing to be inhaling?"
Like in the producer's mind there's some guy listening to NPR, ready to fly off the handle at this blasphemous, incredibly contentious allegation that mercury poisoning affects the nervous system; big fat face getting all red and sweaty, veins popping out of his neck, flecks of spit, he's gripping the armrests of his chair when suddenly--wait, hang on old bean, what did they just say? This information is being delivered by a professor? The anger subsides, the face returns to its normal shade of pink, the man sits back in his barcalounger. Taps his lip thoughtfully with an index finger. Hmmm, a professor, eh? Maybe there's something to this "don't eat mercury" thing after all...
I know we're a nation of combative six year-olds who can't agree on climate change or immunization, but where does this kind of thing stop? Neil DeGrasse Tyson slowly explaining the fundamentals of arithmetic before explaining that the sun is "quite a bit larger than the moon?"
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