What will I learn about: why radiation's invisibility fuels irrational fears, and discover how its life-saving medical applications have actually doubled background exposure in the US since 1980?

Understand why radiation's invisibility fuels irrational fears, and discover how its life-saving medical applications have actually doubled background exposure in the US since 1980.

What will I learn about: the fundamental science behind the electromagnetic spectrum, learning how everything from visible light to gamma rays is simply energy moving through space in waves?

Discover the fundamental science behind the electromagnetic spectrum, learning how everything from visible light to gamma rays is simply energy moving through space in waves.

What will I learn about: Learn how a simple laboratory accident involving electric sparks and metal filings paved the way for Guglielmo Marconi to invent wireless radio communication?

Learn how a simple laboratory accident involving electric sparks and metal filings paved the way for Guglielmo Marconi to invent wireless radio communication.

What will I learn about: how Wilhelm Roentgen accidentally discovered X-rays by observing that invisible, short-wavelength rays could pass through wood and human flesh, but not metal or bone?

Find out how Wilhelm Roentgen accidentally discovered X-rays by observing that invisible, short-wavelength rays could pass through wood and human flesh, but not metal or bone.

What will I learn about: Recognize how the immediate, open sharing of early radiation discoveries rapidly revolutionized modern medical science and led to countless life-saving treatments?

Recognize how the immediate, open sharing of early radiation discoveries rapidly revolutionized modern medical science and led to countless life-saving treatments.

Strange Glow

"The Story of Radiation – How the New Science of the Human Body Is Changing the Way We Live"

Timothy J. Jorgensen

★ 4.7 / 5(220 ratings)

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Categories:

History Science

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡Did you know that many of our deepest fears about radiation are actually based on myths, while the real risks we face are often hiding where we least expect them?
💡Have you ever wondered how to tell the difference between a genuine nuclear threat and the harmless background radiation that surrounds us every day?
💡What if you could decode the complex science of nuclear energy to make more informed, fearless decisions about your medical treatments and the future of our planet?

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Key Takeaways from Strange Glow

✓Understand why radiation's invisibility fuels irrational fears, and discover how its life-saving medical applications have actually doubled background exposure in the US since 1980.
✓Discover the fundamental science behind the electromagnetic spectrum, learning how everything from visible light to gamma rays is simply energy moving through space in waves.
✓Learn how a simple laboratory accident involving electric sparks and metal filings paved the way for Guglielmo Marconi to invent wireless radio communication.
✓Find out how Wilhelm Roentgen accidentally discovered X-rays by observing that invisible, short-wavelength rays could pass through wood and human flesh, but not metal or bone.
✓Recognize how the immediate, open sharing of early radiation discoveries rapidly revolutionized modern medical science and led to countless life-saving treatments.

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from Strange Glow

Mind Map

Strange Glow

Nature of Radiation+

Early Discoveries+

X-Rays & Medicine+

Nuclear Radiation+

Atomic Power & Weapons+

Managing the Risks+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 9

What is the primary reason the author suggests radiation gets a 'bad rap' in the human psyche?

A. It is associated with mythical beasts from ancient folklore.
B. It is mostly invisible, making it more terrifying than visible threats.
C. It was used exclusively for weapons before being used in medicine.
D. It travels faster than the speed of light, making it unpredictable.

Question 2 of 9

According to the text, what determines whether an electromagnetic wave is generally safe or potentially harmful to living cells?

A. The speed at which the wave travels through space.
B. The wavelength, with shorter, more frequent waves carrying more energy.
C. The medium through which the wave is traveling, such as air or water.
D. The source of the electricity used to generate the wave.

Question 3 of 9

Why did Guglielmo Marconi and his team correctly assume that radio waves were safe to work with, unlike electricity or X-rays?

A. Radio waves have wavelengths longer than visible light and carry less energy.
B. They wore lead-lined suits to protect themselves during experiments.
C. Radio waves do not travel through empty space like other forms of radiation.
D. They only used natural radio waves, which are less dangerous than artificial ones.

Question 4 of 9

What was Wilhelm Roentgen's crucial observation that led to the medical application of X-rays?

A. X-rays could bend around solid objects like a prism.
B. X-rays caused metal filings to align in a sealed glass tube.
C. X-rays passed through flesh but were blocked by denser materials like bone and metal.
D. X-rays emitted a soft glow that could be used to paint watch dials.

Question 5 of 9

How does ionizing radiation, such as gamma rays, cause damage to living cells?

A. It heats the water inside the cells to the boiling point.
B. It rips particles from the nucleus of atoms, creating unstable ions that lead to mutations.
C. It slows down the division of healthy cells, causing organs to fail.
D. It changes the speed of light within the body's tissues.

Question 6 of 9

How did Antoine Becquerel accidentally discover nuclear radiation?

A. He observed that uranium exposed photographic film even in complete darkness.
B. He noticed his fluorescent screen glowing from across the room.
C. He fired electrons at a radium atom and split it in half.
D. He used an X-ray machine to shrink a patient's tumor.

Question 7 of 9

Why was the ingestion of radium by the dial-painting factory workers particularly devastating to their bodies?

A. Radium immediately boils the blood upon entering the digestive tract.
B. The body treats radium like calcium, depositing it directly into the bones where its radiation destroys them over time.
C. Radium prevents the lungs from absorbing oxygen, leading to suffocation.
D. The body converts radium into uranium, which is highly toxic to the liver.

Question 8 of 9

During the second wave of radiation sickness observed in Hiroshima survivors, why did patients suffer from severe intestinal issues?

A. The radiation contaminated the city's food and water supply.
B. Intestinal cells divide rapidly, making them highly sensitive to radiation damage.
C. The heat of the blast specifically targeted soft tissues in the abdomen.
D. The shockwave ruptured the stomach lining of most survivors.

Question 9 of 9

Why did the third wave of radiation sickness symptoms, such as anemia, take about a month to appear in Hiroshima survivors?

A. It took a month for the radiation to travel from the skin to the bone marrow.
B. Existing red blood cells live for about 30 days, so the inability to produce new ones in damaged bone marrow wasn't felt immediately.
C. The survivors were exposed to a secondary radioactive cloud a month after the blast.
D. The human immune system can temporarily suppress radiation poisoning for exactly four weeks.

Strange Glow — Full Chapter Overview

1Recommendation
2The beginning of experimenting with radiation
3Wavelength is what matters
4A careful approach pays off
5Radiation is everywhere—and so are the risks
6The introduction of nuclear radiation into medicine
7The impact of Hiroshima
8Final summary

Strange Glow Summary & Overview

Strange Glow: The Story of Radiation Is a sweeping account of the rise of nuclear science, tackling some of the biggest myths and realities surrounding radiation. Debunking some safety myths while carefully documenting real risks, it is also an urgent call for society to confront their fears and in doing so, make better choices in everything from medical procedures to nuclear power.

Who Should Listen to Strange Glow?

Those looking for a deeper understanding of the universe
Anyone nervous about the radiation surrounding them
Anyone wanting to make more informed decisions about medical treatment or health

About the Author: Timothy J. Jorgensen

Timothy J. Jorgensen is a professor of radiation medicine and Director of the Health Physics Graduate program at Georgetown University. He is also the author of Spark: The Life of Electricity and the Electricity of LIfe.

Strange Glow

If You're Curious About These Questions...

Listen to Strange Glow — Free Audiobook

Key Takeaways from Strange Glow

Learning Tools

Mind Map

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Strange Glow — Full Chapter Overview

Strange Glow Summary & Overview

Who Should Listen to Strange Glow?

About the Author: Timothy J. Jorgensen

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