A Mystery Solved

Why would a wooden fence be emitting high levels of radiation in downtown Tokyo? At first, fingers were pointed toward the Fukushima nuclear plant. But no, Fukushima's problem is Cesium. The Tokyo fence emissions were from radium.

Radium? Think back. There was a time when almost every adult wore a little bit of radium on their wrist.

The vacant house behind the fence was investigated. In the basement were bottles and test tubes filled with a white powder. The powder was checked out: radium! Radium in the form that used to be used for luminous paint.

Remember watches with luminous dials? That's the stuff.

Strangely good news, in a way: the house was lived in by a woman who is now 90 years old. She knew nothing about the radium, but here's the point. She spent most of her adult life in that house, sleeping practically on top of the bottles of radium stored under the floor. She is now 90. No cancer.