Summary

Chapter 8, “Radioactivity and Death,” is the first chapter in Section III, “Nukes.” It follows a short introduction to the topic of nuclear weapons. In “Radioactivity and Death,” Muller explains why nuclear weapons kill people, and how they sometimes do not. It’s divided into four subsections, following an introduction to some key terms. Muller defines radioactivity as the “explosion of the nucleus,” and the nucleus as the “tiny core of the atom,” (95). He defines radiation as “the fragments that fly out when the nucleus explodes,” (95). He says that people seem to have an almost pathological fear of radioactivity, because it is an unseen danger. A rem is a unit used to measure the damage done to the body by radioactivity. About 100 rem are needed to cause radiation illness and 200-300 rem can cause death. This is why the dirty bombs discussed...