No one will even know the truth. The only numbers they have are those who died as a result of direct exposure on site during and immediately after the accident. That is the number the USSR used to show how "it wasn't that bad"
Most were effected by the release of Iodine-131, Caesium-137 and Strontium-90. Unless they can trace the specific isotope of Iodine to every thyroid cancer patient we will never really know. My cousin was a toddler when it happened and also in Kiev. Several years ago she had to have thyroid surgery. Sure we can say it was because of Chernobyl, but there is no way to prove, at this time if it was Chernobyl or some other environmental factor.
They would have to do the same isotope testing for Caesium in people with soft tissue and digestive track cancers. Leukemia and bone cancer for Strontium. I don't think anyone has the money to examine all of that, even in the limited area where those isotopes were deposited in quantities which increase risk.
I am part of that power which eternally wills evil, and eternally works good.
It is quite interesting, the after effects. There's still ongoing research into it because no one's quite sure of the long-term effects, due in large part to the fact that no one really has an accurate picture of what and how much fallout was released. Even if you had full access to the USSR's documents on it, you would have to assume that they appreciated the full scale of it at the time for their work to be really meaningful, which I don't think they did because of shear recalcitrance/ignorance.
Anyway, I'm hooked on this mini-series.
Wow, streamed the first episode last night. I can't imagine what the budget for this series. Hooked on this one too.
Just watched a show about Chernobyl exclusion zone. Amazing how wildlife returned and flourished despite the radiation. Many animals have radiation 100x the normal limit and yet perfectly healthy
I would wathc some of the documentaries before watching the series, just to get the facts straight first.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc-vvhWXL9Q
“It's no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.” Mark Twain
Episode 2 off to a good start.
Also, radiation is terrifying.
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Radiation is scary? Like most of other similar attempts of man to harness nature, there is risk in tickling the dragon.
Have you read the SL-1 reactor meltdown story? That is horrifying. However, the US tragedy led to improving safety standards the world over. Even the supercritical incidents involving the Demon Core of the Manhattan Project meant that lives lost would push safety developments.
The Russians or China will sell the reactors, but well-heeled Middle Eastern countries still want the US’s nuclear safety culture. The tragedy in Chernobyl was the similarity to Three Mile Island in the US. The fact the Ukrainian operators made similar mistakes meant they were playing Russian Roulette by not learning from the mistakes of others.
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