The hottest Radiation Substack posts right now

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SNT: Frequently asked questions.

Gordian Knot News • 95 implied HN points • 02 Mar 25
🔬 Science Health Biology Toxicology Radiation Engineering
  1. The SNT model divides radiation exposure into daily doses for better tracking of cancer risk. This helps in understanding how each day's exposure can affect long-term health.
  2. SNT is considered conservative in its estimates, as it tends to predict higher cancer risks compared to other models. This is seen as useful for safety regulations.
  3. There is resistance to SNT in the scientific community, with many experts favoring a different model called LNT. This makes it challenging to implement a new standard for evaluating radiation risks.

The Two Lies that killed Nuclear Power 2.0

Gordian Knot News • 300 implied HN points • 26 Jan 25
🔬 Science Nuclear power Radiation Energy Policy Environmental Impact Public Health
  1. Nuclear power has been hurt by two major misconceptions: that major accidents are unlikely and any release of radiation would be disastrous. Both ideas oversimplify complex realities.
  2. The belief that all radiation exposure is harmful has led to expensive safety measures in nuclear plants, making them less competitive against cheaper energy sources like oil and coal.
  3. Evidence shows that our bodies can repair some damage from radiation and that low-level exposure doesn't necessarily lead to serious health issues, challenging common fears about nuclear safety.

The Case for 2 mSv/day. 2.0.

Gordian Knot News • 139 implied HN points • 04 Feb 25
🔬 Science Radiation Health Biology Environment Nuclear
  1. The historical dose limit for radiation exposure was set at 2 mSv per day, based on a time when no harmful effects were clearly detected. This suggests that at this level of exposure, there might not be significant health risks.
  2. Our body has a strong system for repairing DNA damage caused by radiation and natural processes. Most DNA issues are fixed quickly, which means low-level radiation may not lead to serious health problems.
  3. If we accept that 2 mSv per day is safe, it could change how we manage nuclear power. It may allow for safer operations and reduce unnecessary evacuations, ultimately making energy cheaper and more sustainable.

All models are wrong, but some are tragically misleading

Gordian Knot News • 183 implied HN points • 30 Dec 24
🔬 Science Nuclear Radiation Health Environment Policy
  1. Evacuating people from the Fukushima area was delayed, and some evacuation decisions may not have been based on the actual risk levels involved. This led to unnecessary stress for many residents.
  2. A lot of the radiation exposure from the Fukushima disaster was less harmful than initially thought. Some areas had low radiation levels that people were advised to evacuate from, leading to disruption in their lives.
  3. Models predicting cancer risks from radiation exposure can be misleading. In some cases, the predicted health impacts did not match what real-life studies showed.

The Total Dose Cult

Gordian Knot News • 124 implied HN points • 06 Jan 25
🔬 Science Radiation Health Risk Assessment Nuclear Biology
  1. Total dose of radiation can be misleading. It's not just about how much radiation someone gets, but also how quickly they receive it.
  2. People exposed to radiation over a long time can have different health risks compared to those who are exposed quickly. The way their body processes radiation can vary.
  3. When discussing radiation harm, it's important to consider the rate at which people are exposed. This helps to get a clearer understanding of potential risks.
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Is it time for BEIR VIII?

Gordian Knot News • 153 implied HN points • 17 Dec 24
🔬 Science Radiation Epidemiology Health Risks Genetics
  1. The BEIR committee, which studies the health risks of radiation, hasn't updated their findings in nearly 20 years. There are new studies and data that could change our understanding of these risks.
  2. Omitting data from certain populations, like radium dial painters, can lead to misleading conclusions about radiation exposure and cancer risk. It's important to consider all relevant groups when assessing risks.
  3. A new BEIR report should include a balanced committee and a clear model for understanding radiation's effects. This would help improve how we manage and regulate nuclear power.

The Right-Hand Rule for Radiation

Fields & Energy • 499 implied HN points • 29 Apr 24
🔬 Science Physics Electromagnetism Energy Radiation Research
  1. The right-hand rule for radiation helps us understand how electromagnetic energy behaves. It's a simple concept that suggests the direction of radiation can be figured out using your right hand.
  2. Radiation doesn't just come from single charges; it comes from interactions between charges. If a charge is isolated, it doesn't radiate any energy on its own.
  3. Understanding the difference between fields and energy in electromagnetism is important. They work together but behave differently, and grasping this can help us solve complex problems in physics.

Germany Celebrates Fealty To Depopulation Lobby With Shut Down Of Nuclear Energy Sector

Matt Ehret's Insights • 1316 implied HN points • 30 Apr 23
🌍 World Politics Nuclear Energy Renewable Energy Radiation Decarbonization
  1. Germany and other European nations are shutting down nuclear energy sectors, citing concerns of sustainability and green energy production.
  2. Low dose radiation has been found to have positive health effects, despite common fears of radioactivity.
  3. Transitioning solely to solar and wind energy may not be as sustainable as expected, as it leads to toxic waste and high energy costs.

A Better SNT?

Gordian Knot News • 146 implied HN points • 14 Nov 24
🔬 Science Radiation Health DNA Cancer Repair
  1. The SNT model can be improved by making the DNA repair period depend on the dose rate of radiation. This means that higher doses would take longer to repair, which fits better with the observed data.
  2. There seems to be a limit to how much cancer can result from radiation, especially at high doses. Cells that are too damaged can't repair themselves, which might prevent cancer from developing.
  3. Understanding how radiation affects the body is important for safety, especially for workers in nuclear plants. We need more data to ensure the current models aren’t overly cautious, which can lead to unnecessary costs.

Will space travel force us to think dynamically about radiation harm?

Gordian Knot News • 124 implied HN points • 15 Nov 24
🔬 Science Radiation Health Biology Physics
  1. Space travel could change how we understand radiation harm. Instead of just focusing on the total dose of radiation, we might need to consider how our bodies repair damage over time.
  2. Current models for analyzing radiation risk might not be suitable for space conditions. This means we may need new methods to ensure astronaut safety during missions.
  3. NASA's practices suggest that the traditional ideas about radiation limits might be too strict. If we can adapt these rules, it could help both space travel and the use of nuclear energy on Earth.

Why the NT in SNT?

Gordian Knot News • 95 implied HN points • 11 Nov 24
🔬 Science Radiation Medicine Health Risk Assessment Nuclear policy
  1. The term 'No Threshold' in radiation discussions is important because it highlights that there is always some risk from radiation exposure, even at low levels. It's a reminder that we can't completely eliminate risk, just like every time we leave our homes.
  2. The current thinking on radiation risk, called Linear No Threshold (LNT), suggests that even small doses are harmful. However, real-life examples, like workers who handled radium, challenge this belief and show that low doses may not cause significant harm.
  3. Critics of LNT often focus on proving a specific threshold for safety, but this can weaken their argument. The idea that there’s a threshold is seen as a tactic that allows LNT to persist, even though it might not hold up against real evidence.

The Fukushima Workers, Part 2

Gordian Knot News • 95 implied HN points • 06 Nov 24
🔬 Science Radiation Nuclear Health Research Environmental
  1. The Fukushima workers faced very high radiation levels, especially near the damaged reactors, sometimes exceeding 100 mSv/h. Despite this, they showed remarkable bravery to manage the crisis.
  2. Research on the health of over 5,000 Fukushima workers found no significant health issues by the end of 2019. This suggests that the body's systems are good at repairing damage from radiation exposure.
  3. Distance from a radiation source is crucial for safety. Being more than 2 kilometers away from a nuclear release greatly reduces the risk of harm, similar to how staying a safe distance from fire keeps you safe.

LNT is prudent.

Gordian Knot News • 205 implied HN points • 27 Feb 24
🔬 Science Radiation Regulation Risk Assessment Public Health Nuclear power
  1. Pursuing safety in a cost-effective way is crucial to prevent harm and save lives.
  2. The Linear No-Threshold (LNT) model, while used for regulatory purposes, can come with enormous costs to humanity due to its over-conservatism.
  3. Focusing solely on minimizing radiation exposure without considering other costs may lead to unnecessary harm and consequences, such as deadly evacuations and ruined lives.

Circling the LNT Wagons

Gordian Knot News • 205 implied HN points • 26 Aug 23
🔬 Science Radiation Health Studies Cancer
  1. The Linear No-Threshold theory (LNT) in radiation protection is being challenged due to its assumption that harm is solely based on cumulative dose, ignoring dose rate and repair ability.
  2. Studies on nuclear workers show limitations as they only focus on cumulative doses and do not consider variations in dose rates, which are crucial for understanding radiation harm.
  3. The INWORKS study, which supports LNT, has faced criticism for excluding certain data, lacking dose rate information, and not making data available, raising questions about its scientific validity.

The case for 1 mSv per day

Gordian Knot News • 212 implied HN points • 16 Jul 23
🔬 Science Radiation Biology Nuclear power Health Risks
  1. The recommended radiation exposure limit for the general public was 2 mSv/day until 1951, when it was changed to 3 mSv/week.
  2. A dose of 2 mSv/day is considered safe as it is based on biological repair mechanisms that can handle DNA damage from radiation and natural processes.
  3. Maintaining a limit of 2 mSv/day could prevent unnecessary evacuations and help make nuclear power a more economical and environmentally friendly energy source.

Cheap nuclear is healthy nuclear

Gordian Knot News • 139 implied HN points • 15 Oct 23
🔬 Science Nuclear Radiation Health Energy
  1. Engineers must balance desirable factors like performance and safety in their work.
  2. Our understanding of numbers and rational thinking is a relatively recent development.
  3. Low levels of radiation exposure from nuclear accidents may not cause measurable harm and nuclear energy can have health benefits compared to fossil fuels.

Radiation Spikes at Chernobyl: A Mystery Few Seem Interested in Solving

Zero Day • 140 HN points • 08 Aug 23
🔬 Science Radiation Data Manipulation Investigation Forensic Analysis
  1. Radiation sensors at Chernobyl spiked after the Russian invasion, leading to suspicions of data manipulation.
  2. Patterns in the data from sensors indicated possible data manipulation rather than actual radiation spikes.
  3. The disappearance of the server and hard drives from the Ecocenter raised questions about who may have tampered with the sensor data.

Thinking through Linear With Threshold

Gordian Knot News • 65 implied HN points • 02 Mar 24
🔬 Science Radiation Models Repair
  1. Linear No Threshold (LNT) is criticized for over-predicting harm in low dose rate situations like nuclear power plant releases.
  2. Linear With Threshold (LWT) models have variations where the threshold is on dose or dose rate.
  3. LWT models, although an improvement, still have flaws in considering the repair period after radiation exposure.