All that having been said, the benign or potentially useful effects of radiation should not be ignored. The background radiation all around us has been here since the formation of the planet (although its intensity is much less now). Some scientists think it may actually play a small part in natural mutations which have been woven into the fabric of biological evolution over many millions of years.

The early pioneers in radiation research such as the Curies were quick to recognize the potential for radiation as a beneficial tool in the treatment of diseases like cancer precisely because it could disrupt genetic material and render cells unable to reproduce. The history of nuclear medicine and its benefits is an impressive legacy which we too often forget in an automatic reaction to the word "radiation" that comes from association with a completely different but parallel history: the use of nuclear science for war.