FAQ

(Frequently Asked Questions)

Isn’t that confusing?

The United States confuse many people these days. But the radiation units certainly drove me crazy, especially since the Ukrainian and Belarusian scientists I interviewed always used the SI units, but I had to convert them to special radiation units for American readers. Though I was pretty good at moving decimal points in college, I can’t say those habits of mind stayed with me.

With such high radiation in some places, the zone must be crawling with mutants, no?
Why not? Since the Bomb first dropped, sundry mutants have starred in nearly every sci-fi movie about radiation.
How much time have you spent in the zone?
What was your total radiation dose?
Is that dangerous?
What does flying have to do with radiation?
What kind of protective gear did you wear?
Did you ever see that woman, Elena, that rides around the zone on her motorcycle? Her website www.kiddofspeed.com was a big thing a few years ago.

Why do Americans use different radiation units than the rest of the world?
What are normal background radiation levels?
What are the radiation levels in the zone?
How is it possible that Chernobyl helped nature? Wasn’t it the worst environmental disaster ever?
Of all Chernobyl-related subjects, why did you decide to write about natural history?
What led to your interest in Chernobyl?