THE EX-LAX PHYSICISTS

The November issue brought a storm of boorish replies, revealing that OSU (like most universities) now has an abundant supply of nuclear experts in the departments of geography, zoology and English, for example. All of them, in one form or another, used the two arguments discussed in our editorial.

One H.H. Hilleman, who in a misguided attempt at sarcasm describes himself as a "worm-like nuclear idiot," penned a letter utterly without redeeming social importance; and in a further misguided attempt at sarcasm he poses the question of whether people like Paul R. Ehrlich are "shockingly ignorant" about nuclear power. In his self-inflicted innocence he never suspects that the obvious anger is "Yes, and how!"

Ignorance is perhaps the wrong word in Ehrlich's case, for his misinterpretation of physical laws (see his textbooks) is such that if he were entirely ignorant of them, it would be a marked improvement.

Zoologist Hilleman shares his erudition in nuclear physics with used-car salesman Ed Koupal, a sponsor of the California Nuclear Shut-Down Initiative, who recently visited Colorado and other states to advise like-minded scholars on how to spread the Initiative hoax.

"The only physics I ever had was Ex-Lax," Koupal proudly told a reporter of the San-Obispo Telegram- Tribune, and expertise in this branch of human knowledge is evidently qualification for appearing on NBC's anti-nuclear "documentaries," on the Mike Douglas show and in other sections of the national monologue.

What Hilleman and Koupal share with the Luddites is obvious; but among the things that distinguish them (apart from their cosmic arrogance) is the fact that they are proud of their ignorance.