Boing Boing

Boing Boing

When you don’t respect Cobalt 60 it kills you

Jason Weisberger
Dec 16, 2025
∙ Paid

In a stretch of gruesomely preventable disasters in the late 80s and early 90s, Cobalt 60, a highly radioactive isotope used in industrial radiography, cancer treatment, and sterilization of medical equipment, did none of those things and instead irradiated people, sickening some in under a minute.

User's avatar

Continue reading this post for free, courtesy of Boing Boing.

Or purchase a paid subscription.
© 2026 Happy Mutants LLC · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture