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"If the public can't even understand a basic chemical formula, then it's probably hopeless to think they'll understand the more complex issues that are typically involved in public health, like complex dose effects and ambiguous epidemiology."

The general public doesn't understand any complex subjects, wether it's chemistry, health, technology or politics (just to name a few). This is why anyone in a suit or lab coat can use field specific terms to assure the public to keep calm and carry on - or panic.

The mainstream media acts as a catalyst to this problem by also not having experts in the required fields reporting on the subjects. And who is to point out the flaws in the those media stories? Blogspot? Twitter? Facebook? Good luck getting anyone to read those that aren't already following of the subject.