We own radiation-emitting phones, regularly get diagnostic x-rays, and submit to full-body security scans at airports. We worry and debate about the proliferation of nuclear weapons and the safety of nuclear power plants. Jorgensen introduces key figures in the story of radiation, from Wilhelm Roentgen, the discoverer of x-rays, and pioneering radioactivity researchers Marie and Pierre Curie, and Thomas Edison to the victims of the recent Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident. Tracing the most important events in the evolution of radiation, Jorgensen explains exactly what it is, how it produces certain health consequences, and how we can protect ourselves from harm.
