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Radiation has the potential to save lives, particularly in the treatment of cancer, but it can also cause a person to face isolation and loneliness until their death. Intense radiation may one day bring an end to humanity, yet it could have been the very force that sparked life on Earth. Throughout history, society has made questionable choices in its attempts to understand and control this powerful and paradoxical energy. Here are some facts we've uncovered, along with some of the dreadful actions we've taken along the way.
10. Denver Has Radioactive Elements
Background radiation is all around us, coming from natural sources like cosmic rays, the Earth, and even from within our own bodies. While we all encounter this radiation, some areas of the world are more radioactive than others.
For example, the people of Denver, Colorado are exposed to four times the amount of cosmic radiation compared to those living at sea level, adding an extra 115 millirems of radiation annually. This is roughly equivalent to four chest X-rays. (On average, a person receives about 300 millirems of radiation each year from natural background sources.)
However, Denver is not the most radioactive place on the planet. The thorium-rich sands in Kerala, India, emit 380 millirems per year, and similar sands in Guarapari, Brazil, expose locals to a remarkable 600 millirems annually.
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9. Air Travel Increases Radiation Exposure
Flying comes with more than the fear of crashes and hijackings — it also exposes us to increased radiation levels. The higher the altitude, the less the atmosphere can shield us. And unfortunately, the airplane's body offers minimal protection from the bombardment of electromagnetic radiation. A flight from New York to London subjects passengers to a radiation dose similar to that of a chest X-ray.
While casual passengers may face negligible risks, pilots experience higher cancer rates compared to the general population. Pilots and crew members are considered “radiation workers,” but unlike other sectors, they aren’t required to monitor or limit their exposure to radiation.
To protect flight crews and passengers, the Federal Aviation Administration takes a precautionary step. They notify pilots about elevated radiation levels caused by sunspots and other solar activities, allowing them to adjust their flight paths or change altitude to reduce radiation exposure.
8. Chernobyl’s Haunted Forest
Within Chernobyl's Exclusion Zone lies the Red Forest, a woodland frozen in time. The trees turned a reddish color after absorbing deadly levels of radiation from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. All the trees perished following the catastrophe, and most were felled and buried. Yet, the few that remain show minimal signs of decay, trapped in a ghostly state of being dead yet refusing to disappear.
The oddity is more related to the area's decomposers — microbes, fungi, and insects — than the trees themselves. These organisms are key to the decay process, but radiation has devastated their populations, leaving them unable to break down organic matter at a normal rate. Even after almost three decades, the fallen trees of the Red Forest remain almost unchanged from when they were bulldozed.
To make matters worse, the accumulation of dry wood, leaves, and other debris presents a significant fire hazard. If ignited, the smoke from a fire could carry radioactive particles far beyond the Exclusion Zone.
7. The Radiation-Consuming Fungus
While some fungi suffered from the radiation in Chernobyl, other varieties flourished in the hazardous Exclusion Zone, even evolving the ability to harness radioactivity as an energy source.
This was uncovered when scientists sent a robot into the highly radioactive Chernobyl reactor and found large patches of black fungi thriving inside its walls. Similar to how plants use sunlight to produce chemical energy, these fungi convert ionizing radiation into nourishment and power. While plants rely on chlorophyll for this process, fungi use melanin, the pigment responsible for skin color. Prior to this finding, scientists were baffled as to why fungi even contained melanin.
Scientists have speculated about various ways these fungi could be beneficial to humans. One intriguing possibility is using them as an endless food supply for astronauts and future space settlers. The fungi could thrive on cosmic radiation and multiply, while humans consume them for sustenance. While eating black mold might not sound appetizing, it could be essential for survival if we aim to colonize Mars.
6. Soybeans Shield Us From Radiation
Although the Chernobyl disaster caused immense environmental devastation, it has also led to fascinating discoveries about the resilience of plants and animals. Even the humble soybean has proven to be surprisingly versatile. For example, when comparing soybeans grown inside the Exclusion Zone to those just outside it, scientists discovered that the soybeans in the high-radiation areas had three times more cysteine synthase (a protein that binds heavy metals) and 32 percent more betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (a compound that fights mutations).
These adaptations not only enable the soybean to survive in a radiation-heavy environment, but they also hold promise for shielding humans from radiation and enhancing cancer treatments. The isoflavones in regular soybeans boost radiation’s ability to destroy lung cancer cells, so the Chernobyl soybeans, with their higher concentrations of radiation-resistant compounds, might be even more effective at doing so.
5. The Radioactive Science Kit for Kids
Back in the days when kids casually brought pocket knives to school, never thought twice about seatbelts, and Red Rover was still a playground staple, one of the most coveted toys was a radioactive science kit. The Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab came with four types of ore, each containing different sources of alpha, beta, and gamma radiation. Among them was the highly toxic alpha particle Po-210 (polonium), which can be dangerous if inhaled, ingested, or absorbed. In fact, Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned by polonium, and polonium also caused the death of Marie Curie’s daughter.
The government unofficially supported this toy as a way to help the public better understand atomic energy and its potential benefits. The kit even came with a manual from the government titled “Prospecting for Uranium,” designed to inspire young minds to take an interest in uranium mining.
Despite its hazardous potential, the kit was undeniably fascinating and included a Geiger counter along with a cloud chamber where young scientists could “observe the paths of electrons and alpha particles.” Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), the steep $50 price tag—equivalent to about $460 today—made it unaffordable for most families. As a result, the product was only available for roughly a year between 1950 and 1951.
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4. Africa’s Natural Nuclear Reactor
While we commonly associate nuclear reactors with human-made structures, Earth once had its own natural reactors. Around two billion years ago, in Oklo, Gabon (West Africa), at least six nuclear fission reactors existed underground. Under the right conditions, fission can occur and sustain itself naturally.
The Oklo reactors were fueled by deposits of uranium-235-rich ore, which was far more abundant on Earth in ancient times. The reaction likely initiated spontaneously and was then controlled by the presence of groundwater. These reactors continued to operate intermittently for hundreds of thousands of years before running out of uranium.
Like today’s nuclear power plants, these ancient reactors also generated toxic waste, but Mother Nature knew how to manage it effectively. Despite regular water flow through the reactors, the waste barely moved more than a few centimeters from its original location and has long since decayed. The surrounding geological barriers kept the waste contained. Scientists study this natural setup to improve safety in modern nuclear plants.
3. The Government Secretly Exposed Sick Children to Radiation
The US government conducted so many radiation experiments on unsuspecting individuals that it’s difficult to choose which was the most inhumane. They deliberately dropped radioactive substances over US cities, gave radioactive oatmeal to children with intellectual disabilities, and injected plutonium into people without their consent. Among the most appalling was the radiation exposure of some of the most vulnerable people imaginable: children suffering from cerebral palsy.
Between 1955 and 1960, around 1,100 children, residents of Sonoma State Hospital, were subjected to these experiments. During this time, parents were encouraged to place their disabled children in institutions. Many of these children were abandoned, leaving them captive to be used for various experiments without their parents’ consent. This all happened with federal government funding. In addition to radiation exposure, the children endured other painful procedures, such as unnecessary spinal taps and air being injected into their brains.
In the end, around 1,400 children lost their lives at Sonoma State. It’s no coincidence that the hospital and its doctors amassed one of the largest collections of brains ever documented.
2. Navajo Uranium Miners
During the Cold War’s nuclear arms race, a new gold rush began in the United States for uranium, the key ingredient in nuclear bombs. Mining companies identified rich uranium deposits across the southwest, particularly on Navajo Indian reservations. These companies took advantage of cheap local labor, employing many Navajo individuals as uranium miners without informing them of the radioactive substances they were handling or taking any measures to protect them from exposure.
At first, the miners were pleased to find steady work, even though it was low-paying and close to home. But by the 1960s, they began suffering from lung cancer and other illnesses at alarming rates, which led them to realize that something was seriously wrong with their new jobs. It wasn’t long before they discovered the dangers of uranium, and were horrified to learn that scientists had been aware of the link between lung cancer and uranium mining since 1949.
What’s even worse is that the mining companies could have prevented many of the health issues—and even saved lives—if they had simply provided one basic safety measure: ventilation. Uranium itself is safe to touch because its alpha radiation is blocked by clothing and skin, but the radon gas and dust particles (called “radon daughters”) that accumulate around uranium are highly radioactive and easily inhaled. If the miners had been provided with proper masks and airflow systems, they would have been protected from the harmful radon exposure.
Despite the simplicity of these basic safety measures, the mining companies found them too burdensome and managed to block any regulation until 1969. It wasn’t until 1990 that the miners and their families finally received compensation for the suffering they endured. Many Navajo expressed frustration, claiming the amount they received was far from adequate to cover their medical expenses.
1. Radiation May Have Advanced Life On Earth
A compelling theory stemming from the Oklo discovery suggests that radiation from natural nuclear reactors may have played a crucial role in kickstarting life’s evolution on Earth. Ionizing radiation, which is released by nuclear reactors, can damage DNA and cause genetic mutations. Organisms that were close enough to Oklo to be exposed to radiation but far enough to survive might have undergone genetic mutations, eventually evolving into new species.
The discovery of Oklo has led some to speculate that there may be other ancient, undiscovered reactors hidden deep within the Earth. If radiation from Oklo and similar reactors sparked biological mutations two billion years ago, it’s possible that these mutations provided the genetic diversity necessary for natural selection to give rise to the myriad species we see today.
