Humanity and radiation: the good, the bad, and the unusual

Radiation has permeated the universe since time began. People disagree widely about the merits and dangers of nuclear technology. Radiation is often associated in the minds of people with bombs, fallout, destruction, and death rather than with the many benefits of nuclear technology that are present in our daily lives. Rarely do individuals focus on the medical applications of radiation and the fact that nuclear technology saves lives. Over the years, accidents have happened in the nuclear industry; some have produced fatalities, but most proved to be a major source of concern only to the local populace. Since the discovery of naturally occurring radium and uranium and the advent of synthetic radionuclides, a number of consumer products have used radiation, some of which were beneficial and some which were of no benefit at all.