Author Archives: Thoughtscapism

About Thoughtscapism

Cell Biologist, volunteer science communicator, and fiction writer.

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 , , , | 14 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 , | 23 Comments

Radiation Exposures at a Glance

Posted on December 17, 2018 by Thoughtscapism

Inspired by a risk conference I attended, I decided to try my hand at visual demonstrations of toxicological safety limits and pesticide exposures. It struck me that the same kind of visualisation might work well for a demonstrating radiation dosages. I … Continue reading →

Posted in biology, health, nuclear | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Toward More Intuitive Toxicology Information

Posted on December 13, 2018 by Thoughtscapism

Last week I had the privilege to attend a conference on risk science in New Orleans, and hold a roundtable together with neuroscientist Alison Bernstein from SciMoms. We were kindly invited to talk about our approach to risk communication by Center … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, chemistry, health, science communication | Tagged , | 11 Comments

Nuclear is a Crucial Piece of the Carbon-Free Puzzle

Posted on September 16, 2018 by Thoughtscapism

The findings of the recent MIT study bear repeating: to achieve a carbon-free grid, exclusion of nuclear would make the effort much, much more expensive. the team’s analysis shows that the exclusion of nuclear from low-carbon scenarios could cause the … Continue reading →

Posted in climate, energy, finance, nuclear, renewables | Tagged | 2 Comments

Saving Lives Is Not Shameful – Let’s Break the Stigma on Supporting Nuclear Energy

Posted on September 7, 2018 by Thoughtscapism

I own a t-shirt that says “Ask me about nuclear energy.” On the back there’s an image of a cooling tower and the words: “Sustainable. Ecological. Independent.” I wore it to my daughter’s first day at our village music kindergarten … Continue reading →

Posted in energy, environment, nuclear, parenting, psychology, renewables, society | Tagged , | 14 Comments

Lyrical in Lapland – Biologist Released into the Wilderness

Posted on August 19, 2018 by Thoughtscapism

Nature post! I went to Lapland for a few days, and am so bursting with happiness about the fact that I can’t help sharing some of the experience. Anyone looking to read about nature observations of plants, lichens, mushrooms and … Continue reading →

Posted in environment | Tagged , , | 11 Comments