Re: DINOSAUR CANCER -Reply

["Nicholas J. Pharris" <pharrinj@PLU.edu>]

On Wed, 24 Jan 1996 Dinogeorge@aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 96-01-24 11:55:21 EST, HORTONS@EM.AGR.CA (Scott Horton)
> writes:
> 
> >Most neutrinos are not even halted by the earth itself, but pass right thru
> >it. A few can be stopped, but very few, which makes neutrino detectors
> >very difficult. Maybe the popular press got this wrong, and they really
> >meant neutrons? This confusion has happened before.
> >
> >
> 
> I haven't seen the paper, but I bet the idea is that within 20 ly of a
> supernova, the neutrino flux would still be so great that they would cause a
> distinct increase in the number of radiation-induced cancers. Supernovae
> radiate _most_ of their energy in the form of neutrinos generated during core
> collapse; the bright lights and fireworks that we actually see is only the
> visible-light _residue_ of the supernova explosion. If you were on a planet
> orbiting a supernova at a distance of, say, 500 million km, the _neutrino_
> flux alone would kill you well before the expanding supernova photosphere
> reached you.
> 

OK, even if we buy the neutrino hypothesis, is there evidence of a 
distinct increase in (bone) cancers among late Maastrichtian dinos 
(outside of _Torosaurus_)?

Nick Pharris
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, WA 98447
(206)535-8204
PharriNJ@PLU.edu

"If you can't convince them, confuse them." -- Harry S. Truman