Science and Surmise

An analysis of scrotal asymmetry in ancient greek and roman sculptures revealed that although the ancient artists were correct in tending to place the right testicle higher, they were wrong in so far as they also tended to make the lower testicle the larger. Because the weight of the testicles was seen as a crucial part of their physiological function, it is hardly surprising that the lower testicle the one that had pulled down further, also had to be the heavier (McManus 1976, 2004). Simple mechanics but, unfortunately, incorrect biology. Is the process of risk assessment falling into similar presumption mistakes? How much inference and science combine in risk assessment? Risk assessment derives from a braiding between science and assertion of values leading to trade-oVs between incomplete understanding of toxicities and need of intervention (The Royal Society 1992). However, the possibilities of intervention and control may change and are to be continuously balanced against the expansion of scientiWc knowledge.