System of Fear: A Dose of Radiation Reality

In line with last week’s post, please see the below infographic, which paints radiation doses in the visual context of a sort of system of planets according to size (click to enlarge): As is plainly evident, it’s shocking how much the public perception of radiation doses and negative health effects differs from reality. (For example, […]

A Radioactive Astronaut-Hopeful (Space update)

By education and trade, I’m a geologist, having worked now in the professional world for more than six years getting my boots dirty performing hydrogeology, water resources, drilling, geomorphology research, and environmental contaminant transport and remediation work in some of the most remote territory this country has to offer. However, in my push toward becoming […]

Suiting up for radiation

So, I’m heading out this week for radiological instrumentation training. And while I’m studying the latest in handheld “duck-and-cover” devices, I thought I’d take a second to talk about radiation protection. Actually, everyone is used to doing it. The dental chair. The strangely-shaped things in your mouth. The lead apron. -Or how about gooping up before […]

Confronting radiation fears through symbology

Just a quick note today on radiation and the irrational fear it provokes. -Take it from someone who works around “rad” professionally in nature and in industry: Radiation isn’t scary. It’s normal. Radiation comes from the sun above, the mountains around, the soil beneath, our wi-fi routers, radio stations, and heck – our own bodies emit infrared and gamma […]