Thursday, January 24, 2008

Transgender exhibit and talk today

The Clayman Institute is currently showing an award-winning exhibit of portrait photos of transgender people. They are really beautiful photos, and the stories that go with them are very moving. The artist, Jana Marcus, will be giving a lecture about her project today at the Tresidder Union on the Stanford campus (4:30pm, January 24). She will be accompanied by four people featured in the exhibit. It should be really interesting stuff. Do come along.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

What does "safe radiation levels" really mean?

Did you know that "safe" radiation levels are based on a statistical model: a white man age 20-30, weighing 170 pounds and standing 5 feet 7 inches tall? This model man represents every single person in the US when it comes to setting regulations for "safe" levels of radiation exposure.

How different to this model are you? Children and developing fetuses are particularly at risk from radiation exposure, but their needs are not considered in the creation of this "reference man".

Read more about this issue at the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research website - http://www.ieer.org/campaign/index.html