The problem, Joe, is that people no longer remember coal dust from shovelling it into their own stoves. But they do "know" that radiation is an Eeeeeeevil Demon that will Stalk them and Hunt them down unless they Run Far, Far Away.
*ahem*
As a physicist by education, I often find myself trying to explain how nature works to people. When explaining, "radiation," I've now taken to saying the word in a very special way: I practically scream it, with as much panic and terror as I can put into my voice, without actually raising my voice. I then insist that whoever I'm talking to say, "radiation," with the equivalent amount of panic and terror that they can muster.
And I do that … and make them do that … every time we say that word during the discussion.
The point being: blind panic will not help you when facing anything radioactive. Knowing what you're dealing with will.
Ferinstance, consider Plutonium, which the leftwingnuts will insist is, "The Most Poisonous Substance Known To Man." Well, first, "poisonous," usually doesn't include radioactivity. It usually implies some chemical reaction that interferes with biological processes, like breathing. In that respect, Plutonium is as poisonous as other elements in the same column on the periodic table, like Osmium. Or Iron. Yep — Plutonium and Iron have the same chemical properties.
Given the choice between one room, with a sample of Plutonium the size of a grain of sand, sitting in a plastic disk (which is what radioactive samples for use in physics classes look like), or another room with a canister of Fluorine that might have a leak — I'll take the Plutonium. My clothing will stop most of the alpha particles that it's giving off.
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Date: 2011-03-22 02:46 am (UTC)*ahem*
As a physicist by education, I often find myself trying to explain how nature works to people. When explaining, "radiation," I've now taken to saying the word in a very special way: I practically scream it, with as much panic and terror as I can put into my voice, without actually raising my voice. I then insist that whoever I'm talking to say, "radiation," with the equivalent amount of panic and terror that they can muster.
And I do that … and make them do that … every time we say that word during the discussion.
The point being: blind panic will not help you when facing anything radioactive. Knowing what you're dealing with will.
Ferinstance, consider Plutonium, which the leftwingnuts will insist is, "The Most Poisonous Substance Known To Man." Well, first, "poisonous," usually doesn't include radioactivity. It usually implies some chemical reaction that interferes with biological processes, like breathing. In that respect, Plutonium is as poisonous as other elements in the same column on the periodic table, like Osmium. Or Iron. Yep — Plutonium and Iron have the same chemical properties.
Given the choice between one room, with a sample of Plutonium the size of a grain of sand, sitting in a plastic disk (which is what radioactive samples for use in physics classes look like), or another room with a canister of Fluorine that might have a leak — I'll take the Plutonium. My clothing will stop most of the alpha particles that it's giving off.