It remains vastly unclear as to how exactly radiation affects organic compounds like living tissue and rote in complexes, from short term effects evident during our own lifetime to those passed on to further generations. The fact of the matter, however, is that all organic tissue is susceptible to such impact to a varied degree, resulting in a number of outcomes. Here, we're talking anywhere from radiation burns to genetic matrix disruptions. Opposed to radiation burns that current living tissues are unvariedly unable to withstand, which are the cause for short term health failure, radiated genetic compositions passed on to further generations are what, I think, should be a global concern. If you look up as far as 1986 when the Chernobyl reactor failed in central Ukraine, you can dig up some files and photos on what happened to nearby villages, but here's the interesting part, the government at the time has made quick work to quarantine the area, as the fallout was... Let's say, unstable. Fact is that a lot of the people survived, not most, but a lot, even though nobody really knows where they have been "relocated" to. You can google the Chernobyl fallout and museum expositions displaying quite vividly the effects on the wildlife of the region. We're talking mutant cattle with limbs and tumors, anomalies of all sort, physically evident. Not sure about the intellectual side effects because as of now the living tissue has been fairly radically rejecting exposure in such doses. What you're seeing happening to those flowers is the direct result of affected genetic material being passed on down the generations, adapting to survive, and moving on. That's life, fighting to live.
There are many studies on the effects of excessive radiation exposure on organic lifeforms. Sure, there is still a lot to study, especially in humans. The issue with that, is finding subjects for research. This was an interesting study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20968048 One thing is clear, you don't need radiation for faciation.
You're probably right, even though this specific article talks about effects of exposure to radiation and formation of radionuclides in organic matter. One thing that's interesting to take into account is the presence of natural sources of radiation, from seismic activity to solar radiation. I mean, earth and life as a whole, have been always and continuously exposed to levels of it, along with adaptive "mutations" if you will. (E.g. Skin) so it is a sort of a natural occurrence, to an extent. It might, however, help with genetic structure analysis, going hand in hand with stem cell research and genetic engineering. Unfortunately there is no way around the destructive method behind this sort of science. At least for now, so we're at the stage of kind of blindly poking into the wilderness when there's an occurrence or an "accident" that we can go and dig through.
For sure. Mutation is the core process in genetic evolution, and excessive radiation seems to increase occurrences. You bring up a good point about radiation everywhere in nature. Are we at the evolutionary level we are today because of natural low level radiation leading to the right amount of mutations, or is it mostly from basic errors during gene repair? Will we ever know? I do hope that we find a way around the destructive effects of radiation in the future. It would be a ground-breaking discovery for the progress of manned space flight. Great conversation. You are one smart towel.
Lol, it's definitely fun to ponder such hypothesii, the sentiment is mutual. As for the towel part, well, I guess it's all in the genetically engineered material I'm made of. I wrote about this and other important things of my life in my memoir "a million little fibers" perhaps you've heard of it through Oprah's book club? As for the manned space flight - we can definitely successfully get people out there, it's the sustainability that causes issues. Although I'm pretty sure we could land a few explorer style rovers on Mars and have them stretch a piece of thick clear plastic sheet over an area of let's say 100' x 100', then melt some Martin ice under it. Oh and put some plastic to cover the ground and catch the water.... Then bring some soil and plant a few roots. I grow carrots and radishes on my fire escape, and they come out fantastic (although a little small), it's my first season growing my own vegetables. I'm sure nasa would be way more successful. Before you know it - photosynthesis kicks in. You can put LED growth and Heat lamps around the site. Idk... Put electrical heating elements under the soil, have those charged via solar high-capacity charging elements. This tech exists. That's just my .02 tho. Don't get me wrong, I love this planet, nor have I seen anywhere near enough of it to want to leave it. She fascinates me with every of her slightest motions. But you just gotta wonder sometimes...
