With the terrible earthquake and resulting tsunami that have devastated Japan, the only good news is that anyone exposed to excess radiation from the nuclear power plants is now probably much less likely to get cancer.
This only seems counterintuitive because of media hysteria for the past 20 years trying to convince Americans that radiation at any dose is bad. There is, however, burgeoning evidence that excess radiation operates as a sort of cancer vaccine.
As The New York Times science section reported in 2001, an increasing number of scientists believe that at some level -- much higher than the minimums set by the U.S. government -- radiation is good for you. "They theorize," the Times said, that "these doses protect against cancer by activating cells' natural defense mechanisms."
Among the studies mentioned by the Times was one in Canada finding that tuberculosis patients subjected to multiple chest X-rays had much lower rates of breast cancer than the general population.
The Russian joke about radiation is that - you are given a set of sheets to take with you on the walk to the cemetery to be buried in - you should be near death by the time you get there. Please wait in line, burials will commence shortly. - as told by my wife to me on preparing for a nuclear attack - lol EZ
Quackery. The "theory" that a little extra radiation is good for you is being pushed by quacks offering radioactive rocks for all kinds of healing. Google it some more, you'll see. Look for the critics as well as the proponents and compare.
Having said that, I don't agree with media or general public ignorance of what levels of radiation are harmful. There seems to be little balance and perspective offered on the subject by them. The information is out there, but I guess it is easier to just hold the idea that "radiation is bad" in their heads.
Ted- I hate to say it, but ever since shortly after the disaster hit, I've had the old classic rock hit "Godzilla" looping through my mind regularly...