Comment by pmiller2
5 years ago
I just ate 2 bananas a minute ago. You mean I could have eaten a kilo of honey instead? :P
Seriously, though. Everything is radioactive since the 1940s. This doesn't strike me as a huge surprise, although I guess it is good to do this sort of research, if only to get an idea what the levels are.
I think a lot of people would be surprised, that tests done far away, eight decades ago, should have measurable effects now. If nothing else, it's a very important reminder that resumption of those tests would put even more radioactivity into the atmosphere.
There are other effects as well, like the fact that we've basically ruined carbon dating for new objects. They do dating with a basis of 1950 as "Before Present", half-jokingly calling it "Before Physics". After Physics, carbon dating is unreliable, and will be for many centuries to come.
The health effects are negligible, but it's an opportunity to talk about an process that does have real effects that people aren't aware of. And that has an effect on future decisions: let's not risk making them non-negligible.
Seriously, though. Everything is radioactive since the 1940s.
Yeah, steel is a particularly interesting case due to the amount of air used through the process. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-background_steel talks about the problems this cause.
It’s just evolution juice.