Mark Twain is often reported as saying “The problem with ignorance is not that people do not know something. The problem is that what they know is not true.” The problem is that Samuel Clemons did not say this. While most of us are concerned about terrorism, energy for the future, and the weather, much of what we have learned is untrue. We will cover these interrelated subjects and more on a math free look at the physics that will help understand choices and issues that will face our government into the future. Why was the attack on 9/11 so successful and how this relates to the dangers in all those trucks moving gasoline through our communities. We will consider why economic and psychological factors have become more important than the scientific basis for making decisions. What is more dangerous to our future nukes (bombs and reactors) or the pollution that threatens our health and environment?

Ralph Allen served as a Professor of Chemistry at UVA. Dr. Allen served as Chair of the Radiation Safety Committee which was responsible for the largest programs with licenses from the Nuclear
Regulation Commission (NRC) and oversaw the safe decommissioning of 2 nuclear reactors. He created the Office of Environmental Health and Safety that managed the safe use and disposal of hazardous materials at UVA. He was a consultant to the International Atomic Energy Commission.