
Related Questions
- Why does our hair turn gray — as opposed to green or some other color — as we age?
- If I have a high risk of cancer, can my genes be modified to avoid it?
- Why do I have to take some medications every four hours but others only once a day?
- Is sleep necessary?
- How do glucometers work?
- How could biotechnology affect sports in the future?
- How are thoughts measured?
- Could I put a computer chip in my brain to make me smarter?
- Must all organisms age and die?
- How do doctors detect cancer in the human body?
Do humans emit radiation?
Yes, we do. But don’t freak out.
By Meg MurphyAll life on the planet has evolved in the presence of radioactivity, says Michael Short, a professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering at MIT.Human bodies contain radioactive elements like potassium. And so, yes, we emit a radiation signal, but “our bodies are equipped to deal with small amounts of radiation,” so don’t panic, he says.
So just how much radiation do people emit? “I like to put things in terms of what we call the banana-equivalent dose,” Short says. Bananas are high in potassium, he says, providing a useful measure of radiation.
“Sleeping next to someone for eight hours gives you about one and a half bananas worth of a dose,” he says. “If folks get worried, and they wonder: should I sleep alone? They should ask themselves: would you be afraid to eat two bananas? No, I didn’t think so,” says Short.
Thanks to 22-year-old Sam Ayebanate from Port Harcourt for this question.