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Under The Microscope

DON'T PANIC, PANIC! by John L. Farrands, Text Publishing, 1993, 198pp

Reviewed by Phil Anderson

Dr John Farrands has written a book that many readers of this magazine will find congenial. His target is the fear created by scientific doom-mongers and the media, ever ready to bring before the public yet another thing to worry about. The theme of the book: "Don't panic, they may be wrong."

The Greenhouse Effect, dietary worries, smoking and the Crown of Thorns starfish come under skeptical scrutiny, and for each of these, Farrands argues that common concerns are based on exaggerations of the real danger. Overpopulation, however, he sees as posing clear dangers.

There's a good deal of interesting material; some of the smoking-related statistics are fascinating. In principle, he's right -- such potential threats need calm consideration,and it often seems that the media is whipping up needless hysteria. But I do wish that he'd quietly acknowledgement that though the doomsayers may well be wrong, there's also a chance they're right. Panic helps no one, but neither does playing the ostrich.

Phil Anderson is the assistant editor of New Zealand Science Monthly