Radioactivity for Dummies - The Freelance Files MMCLIII

Radioactivity levels

Maybe it's just us, but we are firmly of the opinion that when someone is tasked with writing an informative article about the "Dangers & Uses of Radioactivity," it becomes hard to view the article as authoritative when one of the sections in the post is subtitled, "Radiation In Comic Books." We kid you not, however: that's the title of the last section in the above-titled post Russel Huebsch vomited up on eHow.com back in 2013. It still lives on the internet in the bizarrely-named niche site Sciencing.com. Ptui.

Excuse us for saying so, but if we wanted to know useful (and accurate) information about radioactivity, we'd be inclined to ask someone with a background in science... not Russell's field, political science. This is the guy who is so clueless that he thinks that,

"A common misconception about radiation is that it is a solid object. Popular culture often causes this falsehood. Radioactive elements are often portrayed as glowing, green objects."

While dirt-stupid, that sort of statement fits well with Russell's grasp of the topic. It's in the subsequent sentence that Huebsch reveals his ignorance:

"Radiation actually refers to the transfer of energy from a wave. When you jump into the water, the force of your body "radiates" waves in the pool."

Is this moron serious? Apparently, yes. He then goes on to misinform his readers that,

1. "Radiation itself is not very harmful..."
2. "The atomic bomb... takes advantage of clusters of uranium and plutonium exploding on top of each other to create a massive reaction."
3. "Radioactive energy waves are so small that they can pass through the body and harm a person's genetic make up [sic] found in their DNA. "
4. "...gamma rays emit the most radiation."
5. "Nuclear energy from radioactive materials is far cheaper and more effective than fossil fuels..."

We have no words... but we'll try to correct Russell's bullshit anyway, point by point:

1. "Radiation" simply means the transfer of energy, and includes both light and heat. Russ is, however, discussing ionizing radiation from nuclear decay or reactions. That type can be very harmful.
2. Oh, Jeez, Russell: what's this "cluster" and "on top of each other" bullshit? We should mention that we've already covered this for someone equally as clueless as Huebsch; have a look.
3. Small isn't the point, Russell, the radioactivity's energy level is the point.
4. Gamma rays don't emit radiation, they are a type of radiation; the highest-energy type (which may have been what Huebsch was trying to say). 
5. Nuclear power is "far cheaper"? That's questionable, given the cost of a nuclear power plant. But that "more effective" bit is just plain... stupid.

No, Huebsch had no business trying to write about a topic to which his only exposure was apparently in comic books. This sort of Dumbass of the Day antics would be funny if they weren't such an indictment of the American higher education system.

SI - PHYSICS