Is radiation dangerous?

Atomic weapons and nuclear accidents like those at Chernobyl and Fukushima have made sure we all know that nuclear radiation can kill. But how exactly does it affect our body? ABC Science's Bernie Hobbs explains the basics.

The amount of radioactive material being released from the defective nuclear reactors in Japan after the Japan earthquake are still unclear. But some experts say the outcome from radiation exposure may be closer to that of Three Mile Island of the explosi

Nuclear radiation can be extremely beneficial or extremely harmful -- it all depends on how it's used. Learn what nuclear radiation is all about.

Radiation & Nuclear Energy: The nuclear fuel cycle does not give rise to significant radiation exposure for members of the public. Radiation is particularly associated with nuclear medicine and the use of nuclear energy, along with X-rays, is ionising radiation.

A Newsround guide to radiation and the health dangers associated with it.

We all know ionizing radiation can be deadly, but how exactly does it damage the body? What does it do on a molecular level? What Does Nuclear Fallout Do To ...

Japan’s Fukushima plant, pre-quake.Photo via Wikipedia.The specific consequences of the nuclear disaster in Japan seems to change on an daily basis. For example: “New tests Thursday showed that radioactive iodine in Tokyo’s tap water has dropped to levels considered safe for babies—just hours after authorities announced plans to distribute bottled water to tens of thousands of parents around the Japanese metropolis,” CNN reported this morning. So, VF Daily posed a few questions to John Parsons, a Columbia University nuclear physicist with whom we previously spoke about the New START treaty, about the dangers of radiation, whether it’s contagious, and why it’s so harmful for infants and fetuses in particular, among other things.

Radiation of certain wavelengths, called ionizing radiation, has enough energy to damage DNA and cause cancer. Ionizing radiation includes radon, x-rays, gamma rays, and other forms of high-energy radiation.

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/is-radiation-dangerous-matt-anticole When we hear the word radiation, it’s tempting to picture huge explosions an...