Author Archives: Thoughtscapism

About Thoughtscapism

Cell Biologist, volunteer science communicator, and fiction writer.

Visiting Chernobyl, Day One, The Most Dangerous Part of the Trip: Kyiv

Posted on December 3, 2019 by Thoughtscapism

I finally found time to write about my visit to Chernobyl. I hope to do justice to the tremendous impression left by the people I got to meet, including locals living in the area, former clean-up workers, as well as … Continue reading →

Posted in energy, environment, nuclear | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Decarbonisation at a Discount? Let’s Not Sell Future Generations Short

Posted on November 5, 2019 by Thoughtscapism

Economy: an intricate system of mediums of exchange that enables many complex workings of our societies. It’s a wondrous interconnected network of symbols, really, a true testament to human ability of abstract thought. How we should best steer or influence … Continue reading →

Posted in climate, energy, finance, nuclear, renewables, society | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

The Risks of Failed Risk Assessments On Natural vs Unfamiliar Sources of Energy

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Thoughtscapism

German society Nuklearia kindly invited me to write about risk perceptions on the topic of energy on their blog, where this piece originally appeared in German. You can read it in English below. Humans are naturally bad at assessing complex … Continue reading →

Posted in climate, energy, health, psychology | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

What Level of Risk Justifies Denying People Their Homes? A Look at Fukushima vs Pollution in Big Cities

Posted on October 10, 2019 by Thoughtscapism

I was very moved after hearing the heartfelt testimonies of teacher Yoshiko Aoki, high-school student Moe Harada, and a group of students dialling in from Fukushima to the OECD NEA risk communication workshop in Paris. I previously shared with you … Continue reading →

Posted in energy, environment, health, nuclear, psychology, society | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Stories from Tomioka Town, Fukushima

Posted on October 10, 2019 by Thoughtscapism

I want to share with you the touching testimonies of a teacher and students of Tomioka town in Fukushima prefecture, whom I had the privilege of listening to while I attended a radiological risk communication workshop at OECD Nuclear Energy … Continue reading →

Posted in nuclear, psychology, society | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Chemical Exposures: The Good, the Bad, and the Tiny

Posted on June 12, 2019 by Thoughtscapism

I have often written about the lack of perspective on chemical scares, which is why I was happy to find out that Swedish Professor Emeritus in toxicology, Lennart Dencker, has written a book on this topic called “Not as dangerous … Continue reading →

Posted in biology, chemistry, environment, health, nutrition, science communication | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Appreciating Stories – as a Scientist, Writer, and Human

Posted on June 6, 2019 by Thoughtscapism

When things get difficult, I seek comfort in stories. This might not be so surprising, after all, stories are the fundamental building blocks of human reality. We view the world through our identity, the story of who we are, and … Continue reading →

Posted in literature, meta, psychology, society | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

World’s Worst Energy Accidents in Environmental Perspective

Posted on May 8, 2019 by Thoughtscapism

I began my three-part series on energy accidents to answer the question: “What about Chernobyl?” This type of concern invariably comes up whenever nuclear power is discussed, as fear of nuclear accidents is something that is cemented into our cultural … Continue reading →

Posted in biology, climate, energy, environment, history, nuclear, renewables, society | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

“What About Radioactive Wastelands?” A Look at Chernobyl’s Effects on Nature

Posted on May 8, 2019 by Thoughtscapism

“What about Chernobyl?” is a question many people ask whenever nuclear power is discussed. In my first look at that question, in the previous article, I put the World’s Deadliest Energy Accidents in Perspective. But many people will point out … Continue reading →

Posted in biology, energy, environment, history, nuclear, psychology, society | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

“What About Chernobyl?” World’s Deadliest Energy Accidents in Perspective

Posted on April 11, 2019 by Thoughtscapism

Whenever nuclear power comes up in discussions online, more often than not someone declares that all anyone needs to know can be said with one word: Chernobyl. This name evokes a chilling reaction in most of us, and the idea … Continue reading →

Posted in energy, environment, health, nuclear, renewables | Tagged , | 20 Comments