What’s the Most Dangerous Type of Radiation?

Different radiation types aren’t equally dangerous. Know the types, and where you can be exposed

“Come with me, honey, step into the radiation!” Photo by Yoann Boyer

It’s crazy to think how, over the last hundred years, our opinions on radiation have radically changed.

Back in the early 1900s, we embraced radioactive materials in all sorts of everyday products, from clock faces to dinnerware to chocolate to toothpaste. This, it turned out, was a bit of an oopsie, as many people suffered fatal side effects from long-term exposure.

These days, on the other hand, we are fearful, perhaps in some cases overly so, of the effects of radiation. We have devices to block radiation from our cell phones, magnetic bracelets to absorb harmful radiation, and people screaming that 5G cell phone towers are going to make us sick and generate brain tumors.

Perhaps it’s useful to go back to the basics. Radiation, after all, is not a singular thing, and it can be either good, or bad — depending on the particular situation.

So let’s quickly cover the different types of radiation, where they come from, and what they do to us.

Alpha radiation: big, heavy bumblebees