Behind Toxic Headlines

Behind Toxic Headlines
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/14/behind-toxic-headlines/

"A recent post here touched on how reporters and scientists might help foster public understanding of scientific questions that can inflame public passions.

The same challenges (and opportunities) emerge whenever complex, evolving science underpins contentious or consequential questions — whether in discerning a human contribution to flood and storm patterns or a chemical contribution to childhood illness.

Both have been in the headlines this week. I'll focus on chemicals and health here, exploring some of the rather portentous coverage of a new study of chemicals detected in pregnant women."