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0 pointskwhitefoot8y ago0 comments

> He died of cancer as they didnt quite yet know that radiation was a problem for human health when they started out...

That's putting it a bit strong, after all Marie Curie died of "aplastic anemia brought on by exposure to radiation" in 1934. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Curie

And "actress Midori Naka, present during the bombing, was studied extensively for radiation poisoning. Her death in 1945 was the first to be officially documented as having been caused by radiation poisoning" http://www.news-medical.net/health/Radiation-Poisoning-Histo...

So they might not have had good statistics but they certainly had reason to be cautious.

Of course radiation is also used to treat cancer, there is a good side to many things.

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donarb8y ago

And before that, women were poisoned with radium, which was used to mark watch dials with luminous paint. What's remarkable was that executives and scientists were aware of the toxic nature of the radioactive paint, yet the women were instructed to use their lips to form points on their brushes to make the painting more precise. Lawsuits happened in the 1930's.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radium_Girls

samstave8y ago

Yup... and I recall having a Radium clock in my grandparents house when I was a child... I can still see the thing in my minds eye.

It looked very similar to this:

https://img1.etsystatic.com/163/0/7022168/il_340x270.1212341...

samstave8y ago

well, yes - but maybe it was an issue of disclosure... my grandmother won a part of a class action lawsuit after my grandfather died where former GE nukes' families sued GE for wrongful death to to radiation....

They are all passed - so I dont have the details, I just recall having some minor conversations with my grandma about this.

That generation was fiercely quiet and corporate loyal...

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 pointskwhitefoot8y ago0 comments

> He died of cancer as they didnt quite yet know that radiation was a problem for human health when they started out...

That's putting it a bit strong, after all Marie Curie died of "aplastic anemia brought on by exposure to radiation" in 1934. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Curie

So they might not have had good statistics but they certainly had reason to be cautious.

Of course radiation is also used to treat cancer, there is a good side to many things.

0 comments

donarb8y ago

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radium_Girls

samstave8y ago

Yup... and I recall having a Radium clock in my grandparents house when I was a child... I can still see the thing in my minds eye.

It looked very similar to this:

https://img1.etsystatic.com/163/0/7022168/il_340x270.1212341...

samstave8y ago

They are all passed - so I dont have the details, I just recall having some minor conversations with my grandma about this.

That generation was fiercely quiet and corporate loyal...

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse