Recent content by LostUte

Without knowing the the distribution of the material (and exactly what it is), estimates will vary by orders of magnitude. However, even if you were 2 meters from 4Ci of Ra-226 for a total of 8 minutes, you would have received a dose of 1.6 mrem. Add on the shielding, and that the radioactivity...

Did the institution offer any estimates on the dose the fetus received? I would request that information from the Radiation Safety Officer if you don't have it. In addition, I would strongly recommend that you have the radiation therapy treatment plan sent to another radiation oncologist for a...

I don't think you understand how tax brackets work. When you get bumped up a tax bracket, it doesn't mean all of your income was taxed at that level. It means that any dollar you make above the threshold is taxed at the higher rate. For example, assume there are 2 tax brackets of 10% and...

Any answers to my question? To repeat: Wife planned to do 403b to traditional IRA rollover. We were then going to take her traditional IRA and convert it to a Roth. New custodian rolled 403b directly into Roth IRA. 1099-R from previous custodian lists distribution code 7 and that $0.00 is...

My wife did a 403(b) to IRA rollover this year. When we filled out the paperwork, we requested that it go to her traditional IRA. I was then going to do a Roth conversion of the rollover amount plus prior traditional IRA contributions. She mentioned this on the phone to the new custodian, who...

I'm really not convinced that more doctors would lower prices. In fact, areas with more physicians tend to have higher health expenditures. If more physicians per capita increases competition, shouldn't these areas (e.g. MA) have lower health costs that areas with fewer physicians per capita? It...

As someone intimately familiar with radiation oncology, BCBS is making the right choice. Standard of care for that many brain mets is not stereotactic radiosurgery, but whole brain radiation. The article tries to pull at your heart strings by saying she is going to die without the treatment...

Truthfully, medical salaries are a very small part of the problem. Off of the top of my head, physician salaries are only about 10% of medical spending. As someone on the technical/scientific side of healthcare, I am amazed at how ridiculously expensive equipment/supplies are. A workstation...

You realize that there are hundreds of power plants that currently output more than 1800 MW, right? I think Three Gorges in China puts out 18,000MW. The rate of worldwide energy use is more on the order of 15TW.

Just buy a thicker steak or use a little more charcoal.

They "guarantee" it, but may not have a truck waiting for you when you come to pick it up. Happened to me, and I will never try to use Uhaul again.

First they do exist. Second, the eye doctor can get your prescription nearly dead on without any help from you. A majority of your exam is checking for eye diseases.

The auto companies are fundamentally flawed, whereas the banks will be profitable once the credit crisis is sorted out.

Um...it has nothing to do with efficiency. 2.62 MW is not a measure of energy, but of power.

You are correct that F=ma. However, when the ball strikes the ground, a != 9.8m/s^2. When the ball strikes the ground, a is the negative acceleration bringing the ball to a stop. The larger velocity from a longer fall means a much greater negative acceleration is required to stop the ball...