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A comment on Chance of Dying From Backscatter Radiation Same as Chance of Terrorism. Parent comment

Re:Chance of Dying From Backscatter Radiation Same as Chance... by eleusive on Thursday November 18, 2010 @04:18PM (#1919292)
I'll take it to mean that (given the 1 in 30 million estimate and that there are well over 250 million outgoing airplane seats filled per year by U.S. airlines), the expected number of scans which will cause cancer is nearly 10. That's 10 people who's lives may be put in very real danger.

It doesn't make a very good soundbite, but it plays well to the climate of hysteria!

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Re:Chance of Dying From Backscatter Radiation Same as Chance... by roc on Thursday November 18, 2010 @04:33PM (#1919350)
According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, there were 617,977,711 passengers on domestic flights in 2009 [1].

At the (incredibly optimistic) risk rate of 1 in 30 million, that's about 20 people given cancer, each year, if this policy goes forward and these devices become standard procedure.

[1] http://www.transtats.bts.gov/Data_Elements.aspx?Data=1

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Re:Chance of Dying From Backscatter Radiation Same as Chance... by drawkbox on Thursday November 18, 2010 @04:47PM (#1919397)
The TSA kills 20 people per year. Keep the hysteria simple.

Are you willing to kill 20 people per year to keep safe?

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Re:Chance of Dying From Backscatter Radiation Same as Chance... by KiwiNige on Thursday November 18, 2010 @05:22PM (#1919528)
It's the TSA agents standing by the machines all day that are first in the fireing line.

I wonder how long the cancers will take to start showing up.

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Re:Chance of Dying From Backscatter Radiation Same as Chance... by OneWhoFrogs on Thursday November 18, 2010 @04:59PM (#1919439)
> Are you willing to kill 20 people per year to keep safe?

Unfortunately, the answer for most is yes. That's more or less the definition of war.

Edit: Yikes! I'm really getting downvoted here, but no one's saying why. I didn't say I agreed with it! I just said that most people would probably say yes.

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Re:Chance of Dying From Backscatter Radiation Same as Chance... by msquared on Thursday November 18, 2010 @05:50PM (#1919632)
Uhh, wouldn't these things not have even caught the underwear bomber? Soo.. would you kill 20 people a year for the false sense of security and safety? If so.. well.. you're a douche nozzle, no offense.
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