More to the point, he rebuffs the extension of these anecdotes: that fallout-caused death and destruction have plagued Washington County and the surrounding area ever since.

It is a compelling one-man tale based on the facts and nothing but. You can read it in its entirety by going online. Type "Physics and Society" in your search engine and access the October 2005 newsletter. Miles' article is just above one titled "The Genius as National Icon: Albert Einstein, Zionism and Social Responsibility."

The headlines in the Forum on Physics & Society aren't exactly National Enquirer, but then neither is the sourcing. Miles footnotes no fewer than 36 sources in his six-page article.

In the newsletter's introduction, the P&S editor notes: "The following article on fallout and cancer indicates the difficulty much of the American public has in separating fact from fiction in their own lives. Apparently, given a contradiction between 'scientific fact' and anecdote, much of our public — and their media and politicians — will opt for the latter."

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Lee Benson's column runs Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Please send e-mail to benson@desnews.com and faxes to 801-237-2527.