Re: It's a matter of degree

Evan Kirshenbaum wrote:
"Skitt" writes:
Evan Kirshenbaum wrote:
"Skitt" writes:

From a news article at
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080229/ap_on_re_us/motel_hazardous_material
============
Ricin is made from processing castor beans, and can be extremely
lethal.
============
Gosh, I would have hoped for it to be only slightly lethal.

Your "lethality" doesn't admit degrees? Lethality is the ability
to cause death. Something that's "extremely lethal" is one that's
very likely to cause death or that can be expected to cause death
in a very large fraction of the population.

To me, there's a strange combination of "can be" and "extremely
lethal".

What does it really mean?

"Really", I couldn't tell you, but my impression is simply that
there's something in castor beans that's present in varying
concentrations in ricin, and that in the highest observed
concentrations it's extremely lethal.

Ah, in other words, "Ricin [...] can be lethal." That, or "Ricin [...] usually is lethal."

There's also a superfluous comma, the way I see it.

True that.

--
Skitt (AmE)
not even slightly dead yet


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Its a matter of degree
    ... Ricin is made from processing castor beans, ... very likely to cause death or that can be expected to cause death ... concentrations in ricin, and that in the highest observed ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • Re: Its a matter of degree
    ... Ricin is made from processing castor beans, ... very likely to cause death or that can be expected to cause death ... concentrations in ricin, and that in the highest observed ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • Re: UT - Man with Ricin described as "quiet"
    ... "Specialized lab and serious biochem knowledge" - are you kidding? ... A couple of ounces of castor beans ... turned an existing castor bean plant into a "front-yard decoration." ... making ricin is easier than cooking meth. ...
    (alt.true-crime)
  • Re: UT - Man with Ricin described as "quiet"
    ... "Specialized lab and serious biochem knowledge" - are you kidding? ... A couple of ounces of castor beans (you could probably find a plant ... making ricin is easier than cooking meth. ...
    (alt.true-crime)
  • Re: UT - Man with Ricin described as "quiet"
    ... A couple of ounces of castor beans ... turned an existing castor bean plant into a "front-yard decoration." ... A coffee grinder ... making ricin is easier than cooking meth. ...
    (alt.true-crime)