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I've seen this photo many times and have always wondered about the fate of the person in the picture considering how dangerous the elephant's foot is always sai

I've seen this photo many times and have always wondered about the fate of the person in the picture considering how dangerous the elephant's foot is always said to be. It's good to hear that he's still alive and sounds healthy.

jsilence 8y ago
Same here. This is by far the most badass selfie ever. Good to here he seems to be ok.
Pharmakon 8y ago
In 1986 that distance from the corium you’d have 300 seconds before receiving an LD50. By 1996 when this photo was taken it would have taken an hour to receive an LD50.
Stratoscope 8y ago
Alive but not very healthy: > In his mid 60s, he was sickly, with cataracts, and had been barred from re-entering the sarcophagus after years of irradiation.
- lostlogin 8y ago
  The article mentions cataracts too. These can happen to anyone, but radiation induced cataracts are well documented. https://radiationsafety.ca/radiation-induced-cataracts/ https://radiationsafety.ca/radiation-induced-cataracts/
  - sandwall 8y ago
    Yup. Cataracts are the best example of a deterministic radiation effect; i.e. receive X dose and you _will_ receive Y result. While cancer induction is stochastic; probabilistic effect of exposure.
    - mschaef 8y ago
      That part of the story made me wonder why the cataracts haven't been treated. There are relatively low-risk and well-understood treatments for cataracts that do a very good job restoring vision.
      - sandwall 8y ago
        Easy procedure for an individual with insurance in the US or EU, is the same true for Eastern Europe? IDK
      - toyg 8y ago
        Cost? The URSS was already declining by then, and Ukraine was “born poor” in many ways. A procedure might well be safe and effective, but if the local health service can’t afford to do it thousands of times, they will just ignore it.
        gdy 8y ago
        Not sure where he lives, but in Russia this surgery is covered by mandatory medical insurance.
      - v_lisivka 8y ago
        It looks like he treated his cataracts, because he wears glasses on his 2016 selfie at his page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100013326305771 https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100013326305771 .

jsilence 8y ago

Same here. This is by far the most badass selfie ever. Good to here he seems to be ok.

Pharmakon 8y ago

In 1986 that distance from the corium you’d have 300 seconds before receiving an LD50. By 1996 when this photo was taken it would have taken an hour to receive an LD50.

Stratoscope 8y ago

Alive but not very healthy: > In his mid 60s, he was sickly, with cataracts, and had been barred from re-entering the sarcophagus after years of irradiation.

lostlogin 8y ago
The article mentions cataracts too. These can happen to anyone, but radiation induced cataracts are well documented. https://radiationsafety.ca/radiation-induced-cataracts/ https://radiationsafety.ca/radiation-induced-cataracts/
- sandwall 8y ago
  Yup. Cataracts are the best example of a deterministic radiation effect; i.e. receive X dose and you _will_ receive Y result. While cancer induction is stochastic; probabilistic effect of exposure.
  - mschaef 8y ago
    That part of the story made me wonder why the cataracts haven't been treated. There are relatively low-risk and well-understood treatments for cataracts that do a very good job restoring vision.
    - sandwall 8y ago
      Easy procedure for an individual with insurance in the US or EU, is the same true for Eastern Europe? IDK
    - toyg 8y ago
      Cost? The URSS was already declining by then, and Ukraine was “born poor” in many ways. A procedure might well be safe and effective, but if the local health service can’t afford to do it thousands of times, they will just ignore it.
      - gdy 8y ago
        Not sure where he lives, but in Russia this surgery is covered by mandatory medical insurance.
    - v_lisivka 8y ago
      It looks like he treated his cataracts, because he wears glasses on his 2016 selfie at his page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100013326305771 https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100013326305771 .