The Nature of Radiation

  • Radiation is a “Glowing Gas”: Thinking radiation is a green, glowing mist that
    hangs in the air, rather than invisible high-energy particles or waves.
  • Radioactivity is only Man-Made: Ignoring natural background radiation from
    rocks, cosmic rays, and food (like bananas), and believing it only comes from
    power plants or bombs.
  • All Radiation is Lethal: Not distinguishing between non-ionizing radiation
    (radio/microwaves) and ionizing radiation (alpha, beta, gamma).
  • Radiation “Wears Off” like a Smell: The idea that you can “wash off” radiation
    exposure from your body (confusing exposure with contamination).

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Addressing Misconceptions in Science by Alex Black is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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