Podcast: Isotopes

Radiation is most infamous for its harmful effects on living things, but when used properly, it can have some beneficial effects as well. Radioisotopes, radioactive versions of ordinary elements, can trace the paths of substances through complicated systems and diagnose and treat diseases like cancer. As Angela Creager highlighted in her book, Life Atomic and this week's podcast, much of today's radiation applications in medicine can themselves be traced back to the 1950s when the U.S. Atomic E...