Project Sunshine

In the wake of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, scientists in the US felt it was important to look at the effects of long-term radiation when used as a weapon or when testing.When a nuclear bomb is denotated, it undergoes nuclear fission and there is the release of something called Strontium 90 (Sr-90). Being like calcium, when it enters a live organism, it collects in bone and bone marrow, causing bone cancer and leukaemia. This Sr-90 collects mainly in young children and babies whose bones are still growing.

To do this research, the US used various connections throughout the world, and needed thousands and thousands of samples. They had to use various institutions including hospitals, cemeteries, coroners, and funeral directors. They received tissue from USA, UK, Europe, Australia, Peru, Canada, Japan, South Africa, Chile, Brazil, and Columbia.

BUT…..

They

Did not

Ask

Permission

From

The

Parents

Unbeknownst to the parents, they received a coffin which might have had a leg removed, a pelvis removed, thorax removed…and the surgeons involved, replaced the tissue with paper mache. So, it looked fine.

Nobody knew.

I have been reading this book in complete shock. When I used to do scientific research, I knew full well that I couldn’t do something, unless I had official permission to do so from the Home Office. Do anything different and that’s it, you’re done.

Apparently also, the statisticians removed some samples in this study. Why? Because those samples didn’t fit in with the general trend that the others showed. So, they missed them out. Wow. That. Is. Not. Allowed.

What they “did” find was that Sr-90 was higher in some places up to 80 times the natural level in various parts of the world. But is it data that we can be proud of, I don’t think so.