The 100 Millisievert Threshold Lie: Accepted Knowledge about Radiation Effects after Chronical Low-Dose Exposure and Remaining Issues
Decades ago, the concept of the "stochastic" radiation effect was developed by the Interna- tional Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) for cancer and hereditary diseases. Makers and users of radiation technologies and several professional associations have fought the ICRPs no-threshold thesis since, and after the Fukushima disaster interested bodies have promoted the assertain that no detrimental effects have ever been observed below a dose of 100 mSv. In contrast to this view, the international committees ICRP, UNSCEAR i and BEIR ii have accepted meanwhile, that in fact stochastic effects must be expected following doses far below 100 mSv. This state of knowledge is derived from findings about radiation-induced cancer. Severe deficits in the official protection concepts must be seen in the neglect and un- derestimation of genetic and teratogenic effects.
Abstract This study was conducted to assess the accuracy of perceptions of others’ self-esteem and to examine the potential moderating variables of target gender, perceiver gender, and degree of acquaintance. Degree of acquaintance was the only hypothesized moderator reliably related to accuracy. An overall tendency to overestimate targets’ self-esteem was evinced, but was not related to any of the hypothesized moderators. The data suggested that perceivers are influenced by a false consensus effect when estimating others’ level of self-esteem, independent of their degree of acquaintance with targets. Implications of the findings and directions for future investigation are discussed.