March 17, 1962 - Linus Pauling Day-by-Day

Copy of Handwritten letter from LP to Dr. Jerome Wiesner, White House RE: Says he is sending Wiesner some information in answer to a telephone call from Dr. James Hartgering. Gives figures and calculations related births per year and megatonnage. [Filed under LP Correspondence, W: Individual Correspondence (Whitney - Wilkins) Box 435, Folder 435.3]

Copy of handwritten Letter from LP to Dr. Jerome Wiesner, White House. [Typescript February 28, 1962] [Filed under LP Manuscripts of Articles: (Manuscripts and Typescripts of Articles by LP, 1962), Box #1962a, Folder #1962a.4]

17 March 1962

Dear Dr. Wiesner:

In answer to the telephone call yesterday from Dr. James Hartgering of your office I am sending some information.

The difference between the numbers (400,000 etc.) in my New York Times unpublished manuscript and those in my letter to you of 27 February (55,000 etc.), aside from the factor 4 for megatonnage, is largely a factor 1.5 corresponding to the increase from 67 million (Crow) to 100 million births per year. I seem, however, also to have made an error of some sort, giving an additional factor 1.2.

In my New York Times manuscript I was sticking closely to official figures; I used 0.1 as the 30-year steady-state dose for continued testing at 30 MT/yr, 50:50 fission-fusion, ground-bursts. In my book No More War! I used 0.3 r. I shall use 0.3 r in the calculations in this letter, because I think it is closer to the truth. This becomes 1.5 r for airbursts.

Also, I shall average my 10% and Totter, Zelle, and Hollister’s 100% estimate of damage by C14 in the gene DNA, and use the factor 1.5 to correct for this effect. The integrated C14 gonadal ß-ray exposure for 30 MT 50:50 ground-burst is 0.0127 r. With the factor 1.55 this becomes 0.0197 r, or 0.59 r for 30 years. Also, I think the factor 1/3 that I used in my C14 paper corresponding to 2/3 of the C14 being trapped in particles of local fallout should be deleted. I have concluded that the particles would dissolve in a few decades or centuries, and that all the C14 would go into the pool. Hence I use 3 x 0.59 = 1.77 r for 30 years, for C14 from 30 MT 50:50, whether ground-burst or air burst.

As suggested by Crow (told me by Dr. Hartgering), I shall ignore Crow’s second category. His first, A, is gross physical or mental defect, with number 4000 for 100 Billion births, 0.1 r. The second, C, is embryonic and neonatal deaths, with number 35,000 for 0.1 r. I shall also take the Russells' results into consideration by dividing Crow's values by 2 (not 4, because they need verification), and use a_o = 2000 and C_o = 17500 in all calculations.

As to effective population for C14, my 1958 estimate of 3 x Crow would be 333 million births per year. In the following I give both 100 and 300 million births per year for C14, with 100 million (present value) for fission products in every case.

Sincerely,

Linus Pauling

Letter from Harry Schaffler to LP RE: Tells LP that he is interested in writing a paper on molecular disease for his tenth grade biology class, but he is having a lot of difficulty locating any materials on it. Asks LP for any help as to where he might do research on the topic or what books or publications to read. Says the local library is not helpful, and lists other people he has contacted. [Letter from Harris to Schaffler March 22, 1962] [Filed under LP Correspondence, S: Correspondence, 1962-1963 Box 382 Folder 382.1]

Letter from Henry Allen Moe to LP RE: “Thanks again! You know how it is here now- -thousands of loose ends to be ties together- -and it is possible to tied them together only because adviser like you advise and advise promptly.” [Filed under LP Science: (John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, 1953-1975). Box #14.015, Folder #15.8]

Newspaper Clipping: “Fall-Out Debate Stirred by U.S. Test Plan,” by Walter Sullivan. The New York Times. [Filed under LP Newspaper Clippings: Newspaper Clippings, Magazine and Journal Articles related to LP, 1962: Box #1962n, Folder #1962n.12]

Newspaper clipping: “Atom Test Foe Will Talk Here” Columbus Evening Dispatch. [Filed under LP Biographical: Scrapbooks: Box #6.008 Folder #8.240]

Newspaper clipping: “Dr. Pauling Cites Tragedy Of Radioactive Fallout” Syracuse Post Dispatch. [Filed under LP Biographical: LP Scrapbooks, 1961-1965: Box #6.008 Folder #8.223]

Newspaper clipping: “Pauling Warns of Fall-Out” Syracuse Herald Journal. [Filed under LP Biographical: LP Scrapbooks, 1961-1965: Box #6.008 Folder #8.226]

Newspaper clipping; “I Am With You” CNVA Bulletin. [Filed under LP Biographical: LP Scrapbooks, 1961-1965: Box #6.008 Folder #8.232]

Receipt from Poston How to R. Dale Haskin for $7.44. [Filed under LP Biographical: Correspondence: Deer Flat Ranch Bills, Receipts, Invoices, etc., 1960-1969: Box #4.048 Folder #48.1]

Schedule [no date]: 3:10 PM, LP presented with a key to open the new Syracuse Peace Center; 3:30 PM, AHP goes to tea; 3:45 PM, LP speaks to faculty in the medical school; 4 PM, LP speaks at the medical school [Filed under LP Travel, Box #1.003, Folder 3.2] also in: [Filed under LP Travel Box 1.009 File 9.5]

Schedule: attend Syracuse Institute; reservation at the Yates Hotel [Filed under LP Travel, Box #1.003, Folder 3.2]

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