Maybe "hoax" was too strong
a word. Wrong science does not need a dishonest or even a conscious motivation
to give a false impression. The trouble with publications that are not
peer reviewed is that there are no annoying people like me to put the writings
under scrutiny before they are unleashed on the world. The media loves
fringe science because it makes for sensational copy. Like cold fusion.
It could be that these organisms are
existing in areas where the radiation level is high, but not anywhere near
what might exist within the Chernobyl reactor itself. When I tried to click
through the reference stated in the article introduction for this information
the source was not there.
As far as the use of ionizing radiation
as an energy source, my skepticism would focus on how much energy is generated
by this surmised mechanism. Is it enough to sustain the organism? Or is
it just a tiny blip in the energetic state of melanin that may or may not
be utilized for life functions? I would guess that any number of chemical
compounds would be boosted to a higher energy state when subjected to ionizing
radiation. That's what radiation does when it slams into something; the
energy gets transferred to whatever gets bombarded.
Ted, inveterate skeptic._______________________________________________
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