Nuclear Energy, The Mini-Series: Episode 1 - What is Radiation?

Fossil fuels kill about 8 million people every single year, which is more than the populations of Aotearoa and most of the remaining Pacific Islands put together.
Nuclear power, though - it’s the one that evokes all of that terror and fear, and, well, fair enough because radiation sickness is terrifying. But I am fascinated by nuclear energy ever since I found out that Chernobyl happened on my birthday, albeit the year before I was born, but still - fascinating.
The big fact is that nuclear is a far safer way to create energy than fossil fuels.
So it begs the question: if nuclear energy’s fatality rate is orders of magnitude lower than coal’s, why are we still burning coal like it's 1890?
To get into this, I’m doing a 4-part series on nuclear power, and to start with, I’ll be discussing what it actually is.

In this episode I share:

• What is an atom, what's it made of and how can they be changed
• How atoms can become reactive
• What nuclear reactions are and the creation of isotopes
• The two types of radiation
• What the 4 main types of ionising radiation are
• Neutrons and their role in radiation and nuclear reactors
• The fear and danger that comes with radiation

Key Quotes

“Ionising radiation can knock electrons out of DNA molecules and that is what ultimately can lead to cancer.”

“Ultimately radiation is if the neutron to proton ratio in an atom isn’t balanced, it calms itself by emitting energy.”

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