💎 ISODOPE

charts, graphs and statistics that never see the light of day aren't changing minds. cue isodope. if you haven't had a chance to watch my @TEDTalks yet, please go check it out and share the meme: nuclear energy is cool. 💙 go.ted.com/isabelleboemeke #isodope #ted

we all love an ice cold diet coke every now and then. crisp, bubbly, refreshing, recyclable, environmentally friendly… right? the part most people don’t realize is that aluminum cans aren’t actually fully aluminum. they’re lined with a thin plastic coating designed to keep the metal from reacting with the drink and to preserve flavor and shelf life. this isn’t meant to villainize your daily diet coke, but it’s a reminder that sustainability is often more complicated than it may seem. curiosity > guilt, so make sure you read the label, question materials, and keep asking what things are actually made of. a little extra research never hurt anybody.

believe it or not, one of the quiet battles behind Rad Future was about my writing style. writing about climate, energy, and nuclear electricity doesn’t have to sound clinical or joyless, and this book was never meant to. i wanted it to feel human, funny, a little unhinged at times. something you’d actually want to read, not just feel like you should read. i mean after all, who wants another boring ole book about nuclear? those exist already.

thank you to @simonsinek for this incredible endorsement of Rad Future. the more people who understand what’s possible with clean, safe nuclear electricity, the faster we can build the future we all deserve. ⚡️

the short answer is yes. but it’s not in the way most people think. the water isn’t used up. it’s returned to the source just a little bit warmer.

6. The Neanderthal Parallax By: Robert J. Sawyer Sci-fi trilogy where Neanderthals develop an advanced civilization.

5. A Bright Future By: Joshua Goldstein Argues that modern energy, particularly nuclear, is essential to lift people out of poverty.

6 books you should read if you’re curious about the world and our existence…and to get a kick start on your “read more books” resolutions.

7. chernobyl’s wildlife comeback instead of becoming a wasteland, the chernobyl exclusion zone became one of europe’s largest wildlife reserves. wolves, bison, lynx, and more, all thriving without humans.

6. the cassini nuclear battery panic before NASA launched the Cassini mission, protestors claimed its nuclear battery could “kill everyone on earth.” @carolynporco and other scientists had to go to battle with misinformation and won.

7  things to research when you’re bored: 1. Ramsar in iran has naturally high levels of radiation on earth but don’t have higher incidences of cancer. In some cases the radiation is as high as on the surface of mars. 🧵

guarapari shows that context, dose, and biology matter far more than fear and that mother nature herself is often way more radioactive than anything humans build.

it’s one of those mind-bending reminders that radiation isn’t just nuclear accidents and scary headlines. it’s woven into the earth itself. some of the highest natural doses on the planet come from totally ordinary places: beaches, hot springs, spa towns, and mountain regions. the danger isn’t “radiation” itself. it’s our fear and misunderstanding of it.

guarapari in brazil looks like any other gorgeous beach town… until you bring a geiger counter. 🧵