Nuclear know-how: Radioactive technologies, 1895-1942. Historical dimensions of a contemporary dilemma

Nuclear Know-How: Radioactive Technologies, 1895-1942 describes the networks of individuals, institutions, equipment, and knowledge which fueled the steady expansion of radioactive technologies between 1895 and 1942. Special attention is given to the continual adjustment of costs and benefits which made the expansion of these technologies possible despite the recurrence of myriad injuries and fatalities among users. Chapter 1 recounts the historical discovery of radioactivity emphasizing the rapid growth of commercial interest in the new phenomenon. Chapters 2 through 5 explore the impact of radiation induced injuries on the early development of x-ray technologies. The success of several radioactive technologies led to the accumulation of unprecedentedly large quantities of radioactivity between 1910 and 1930. Chapters 6 through 8 explore the social, political, and economic arrangements which guided this second expansion of radioactive technologies, once again focusing on the constant readjustment of risks and benefits. Chapters 9, 10, and 11 take a closer look at the role of professional affiliation in the evaluation of the health hazards which accompanied the first generations of radioactive technologies