Radioactivity - the breakdown of unstable atomic nuclei, releasing radiation - is a fundamental process in nature, and used to provide important applications in science, medicine, and energy production. But it remains misunderstood and feared. In this Very Short Introduction, Claudio Tuniz explains the nature and mechanisms of radioactivity.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
- Prologue
- 1: Opening the nuclear Pandora's box
- 2: Unlimited energy?
- 3: Food and water
- 4: Radiation and radioactivity in medicine
- 5: Radioactive gadgets and gauges
- 6: Fear of radioactivity
- 7: Tracing the origin and evolution of the Earth
- 8: Tracing human origins and history
- Epilogue
- References
- Further reading
