Overview

Tracing uranium's past--and how it intersects with our understanding of other radioactive elements--Chain Reactions aims to enlighten readers and refresh our attitudes about the atomic world. Chain Reactions looks at the fascinating, often-forgotten stories that can be found throughout the history of uranium. From glassworks to penny stocks; from medicines to atomic weapons; from something to be feared to a powerful source of energy, this global history explores the scientific narrative of this unique element, but also shines a light on its cultural and social impact. By understanding our nuclear past, we can move beyond the ideological opposition to technologies and encourage a more nuanced dialogue about whether it is feasible--and desirable--to have a genuinely nuclear-powered future.

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9781639367443

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"""With verve and vivacity, Lucy Jane Santos conducts her readers on a unique tour of the twentieth century's most significant scientific discovery. Before the R-word threatened destruction, it offered hope for the future--teeth would glow white, cocktails would shine in the dark, and cancer would be vanquished.""--Dr. Patricia Fara, President of the British Society for the History of Science Praise for Half Lives: The Unlikely History of Radium: ""As Lucy Jane Santos observes in Half Lives, 'It is not hard to pinpoint exactly why it was this substance (which Curie referred to as 'my beautiful radium') that eventually became the focus of both public fascination and of entrepreneurial zeal.""-- ""The Wall Street Journal"" ""A fascinating work of popular science and history looks back on a time when radium represented everything bright and promising about the future.""-- ""Shelf Awareness"" ""A little gem of a book.""-- ""The Medical Journalists' Association"" ""In telling this history, Santos is careful not to judge from the perspective of hindsight: the use of radiation in medicine wasn't quackery, it was supported by the best current scientific understanding. It's an entertaining and eye-opening tale of a strange time in the early history of modern science.""-- ""Booklist"" ""Lucy Santos transports us back to a time when when diners cheerfully drank radioactive cocktails that glowed in the dark. Santos has a masterful grasp of a complex area of science history. A delightfully disturbing book that reminds us all of the age-old Latin maxim: caveat emptor.""--Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris, Pen Award-winning author of The Butchering Art ""Santos tracks the history of a mysterious element in her sweeping debut. Radium is not just a scientific marvel, Santos writes, but has also had a profound impact on popular culture. Santos keeps the science accessible, and her survey is full of fun facts; this is sure to please scientific minds and history buffs alike.""-- ""Publishers Weekly"" ""Shines a light on the shocking history of the world's toxic love affair with a deadly substance, radium. Unnerving, fascinating, informative and truly frightening.""--Hallie Rubenhold, national bestselling author of The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper ""There was a time when radioactivity seemed to promise the future. It was the stuff that twentieth-century dreams were made of--before those dreams turned sour. This marvelous book explores the ways radioactivity stood for a better future. A cautionary tale about the dangers of putting too much faith in simple technological solutions to all our problems.""--Iwan Rhys Morus, author of How the Victorians Took Us to the Moon"

"""Chain Reactions is an essential read for those interested in the history and future of our applications of the atomic nucleus. It is enlightening, engaging, tragic, funny, accurate, and optimistic, all at once. Lucy Jane Santos' research and analysis have uncovered nearly-forgotten archival information and cleanly extracted an authoritative reality from stories riddled with myth and controversy. I've engaged with nuclear history for the past 20 years, and yet still learned something new and important on each page."" --Nick Touran, author of What is Nuclear ""A fascinating and richly detailed history charting an illuminating course through the story of one of the most useful and destructive elements.""--Kat Arney, science writer and broadcaster ""Full of surprising facts from a tumultuous past, Lucy Jane Santos offers an intriguing and entertaining story of a powerful element with revolutionary potential.""--Marco Visscher, author of The Power of Nuclear: The Rise, Fall and Return of Our Mightiest Energy Source ""Uranium has lurked at the centre of some of our strangest visions and strongest fears in the modern world. Lucy Jane Santos has written a light, entertaining and revealing history of a heavy element.""--Professor Jon Agar, University College London Praise for Half Lives: The Unlikely History of Radium: ""As Lucy Jane Santos observes in Half Lives, 'It is not hard to pinpoint exactly why it was this substance (which Curie referred to as 'my beautiful radium') that eventually became the focus of both public fascination and of entrepreneurial zeal.""-- ""The Wall Street Journal"" ""A fascinating work of popular science and history looks back on a time when radium represented everything bright and promising about the future.""-- ""Shelf Awareness"" ""In telling this history, Santos is careful not to judge from the perspective of hindsight: the use of radiation in medicine wasn't quackery, it was supported by the best current scientific understanding. It's an entertaining and eye-opening tale of a strange time in the early history of modern science.""-- ""Booklist"" ""Lucy Santos transports us back to a time when when diners cheerfully drank radioactive cocktails that glowed in the dark. Santos has a masterful grasp of a complex area of science history. A delightfully disturbing book that reminds us all of the age-old Latin maxim: caveat emptor.""--Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris, Pen Award-winning author of The Butchering Art ""Santos tracks the history of a mysterious element in her sweeping debut. Radium is not just a scientific marvel, Santos writes, but has also had a profound impact on popular culture. Santos keeps the science accessible, and her survey is full of fun facts; this is sure to please scientific minds and history buffs alike.""-- ""Publishers Weekly"" ""Shines a light on the shocking history of the world's toxic love affair with a deadly substance, radium. Unnerving, fascinating, informative and truly frightening.""--Hallie Rubenhold, national bestselling author of The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper"

Author Information

Lucy Jane Santos, author of Half Lives: The Unlikely History of Radium, is an expert in the history of twentieth-century with a particular interest in the cultural history of radioactivity. She is now the Executive Secretary of the British Society for the History of Science. Lucy lives in England.

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