Radiation myths continue

An old myth …: In colonial America, bad air (mal aria) from swamps and decaying matter was thought to be especially unhealthful at night. Going outdoors in the dark was dangerous, as was leaving the bedroom window open at night. Some people nailed their windows shut.

The myth persisted for a century and a half, though some scientists argued the truth. In one anecdote, Benjamin Franklin was unable to persuade president-to-be John Adams to leave the window open during an evening visit. Adams wrote of the incident in his diary, admitting, “I am afraid of the Evening Air.” Not until the 20th century did people become persuaded that the disease malaria was transmitted not by “bad air” but by mosquitos.

… And a modern myth: Radiation myths are analogous, according to Hargraves. They have intensified for a half-century, as regulators try to appease fearful activists with ever-tighter strictures. “Shall we wait another century, again … or now follow published radiation science?” Hargraves asks before concluding, “Let's follow the science, quell radiation fear, fix the regulations, then build and export economic nuclear power plants that generate 24/7, CO₂-free electricity to check climate change.”