Paracelsus once taught that the dose makes the poison.  A fact that is true for most things, including radiation.  To introduce the subject I have created this pyramid, which I adapted from another website:

The Dose Makes the Poison

We use salt regularly in our diets.  A small amount enhances the flavor of our food.  Too much can ruin the food.  If you ate a pound or two, you would probably be hospitalized.  If you at 100 pounds, you would certainly die.

Radiation can be compared to salt. This is the graphic that I stole the salt pyramid idea from.  It is an ad to sell radiation detection meters. Don’t be distracted by that.

The Radiation Dose Make the Poison

Low doses of radiation are part of human existence.  Nowhere on the earth is there a location of no radiation. This level of radiation, which varies greatly depending on where you live, is called background radiation.  We all live in it 24/7.

So, when the media is selling the latest nuclear fear of the day (NFOTD), unless the dose is put into the context of background radiation levels, don’t waste your time listening or watching.

(BTW – stealing someone’s idea is just proof that they had a good idea; a form of flattery. No one has ever stolen my ideas.  I even have a blog where I invite people to steal my ideas.)

bwr