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The sensitivity of our tools for detecting radiation never ceases to amaze me. In some ways it's a problem because most people don't understand just how good we
by saulrh 7y ago
The sensitivity of our tools for detecting radiation never ceases to amaze me. In some ways it's a problem because most people don't understand just how good we are at detecting radiation. Like, not only can we find it in old bits of wood, we can find it so well that we can tell you whether that old bit of wood stopped gathering radioactive carbon from the atmosphere in 10,000 BCE or 10,300 BCE. We can measure how much radiation you get from the sun precisely enough to tell whether you're living on the first story or the second story of your apartment building. But we still get people freaking out about any headline with the word radiation in it. It's crazy.
- godelski 7y agoI think part of it is that a lot of people just don't know the history or the uses of radiation. For example the history we wanted to find when other nations were testing weapons. We didn't have satellites (or many) so we had to detect from beyond borders. But radiation doesn't travel very far. Solution? REALLY REALLY sensitive detectors. Most people also don't know uses for radiation outside cancer therapy. I'd bet you most people don't understand that a PET, CAT, or CT scan is radiation. Let alone that we irradiate food to make it safer. I doubt people know how regulated anything dealing with radiation is, or how many factors of safety are added.