April 15, 2010 (Vol. 30, No. 8)

URL:
http://lowdose.energy.gov

Rating:
Strong Points: Great educational presentations, nice introduction to the research projects
Weak Points: None

Summary:

If you’ve ever been required to take a radiation safety course, you may be familiar with the outdated teaching video that begins with the soft “click, click, click” of a Geiger counter, illustrating the presence of ambient radiation to which we are constantly exposed. Indeed, we are exposed to low doses of radiation on a daily basis, whether it is naturally occurring, as a result of occupation, or due to medical diagnostic tests. The Low Dose Radiation Research Program through the U.S. Department of Energy funds research projects that look at the biological response to low levels of radiation exposure (as you might have gathered by the title of the program). The website not only details a number of the research projects, but it also provides a wealth of information about radiation and its biological effects in general. The “Slide Shows” tab is especially educational, offering PowerPoint presentations that cover topics such as background radiation, genomic instability, and radiation dose.

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