The Big Bang, nearly 14 billion years ago, generated radiation in the form of atoms known as primordial radionuclides (primordial meaning from the beginning of time). A good analogy for this is paracetamol – one tablet can cure your headache, but if you take a whole box in one go it can kill you. Unlike some toxins found in nature, humans have evolved to live with exposure to low doses of radiation and only relatively high doses are harmful. In nuclear power and nuclear medicine we’ve simply harnessed radiation for our own use, just as we harness fire or the medical properties of plants, both of which also have the power to harm. In fact, most radiation is natural and life on Earth wouldn’t be possible without it.
Many people are frightened of radiation, thinking of it as an invisible, man-made and deadly force, and this fear often underpins opposition to nuclear power. Partnersīangor University provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK. She is also a member of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management. Gerry Thomas currently receives funding from the National Cancer Institute of the US and the Sasakawa Health Foundation of Japan to support the Chernobyl Tissue Bank. He was previously Deputy Chair of the UK Government advisory Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) and a member of its Nuclear Innovation and Research Advisory Board (NIRAB). He has previously received BNFL, EPSRC and NDA funding for research into radioactive wasteforms and EPSRC for a Centre for Doctoral Training in Nuclear Energy. Ser Cymru Professor of Materials in Extreme Environments, Bangor UniversityĬhair in Molecular Pathology, Imperial College Londonīill Lee currently receives funding from the Welsh Government and the European Regional Development Fund for his Ser Cymru Chair at Bangor University.
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