xkcd Explains Radiation... Thanks.

Well, the main-stream media never misses a chance to exaggerate the hype around any radiation exposure, except for the radiation you get from the x-ray backscatter at the airport.  That the media wants you to take.  The esteemed xkcd explains how to compare all the 'radiation doses' that you might get.  Missing from the chart is the dose you get from the x-ray machine at the airport.  Nevertheless, it is very informative.  Here is an excerpt from his blog entry:

There’s a lot of discussion of radiation from the Fukushima plants, along with comparisons to Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. Radiation levels are often described as “ times the normal level” or “% over the legal limit,” which can be pretty confusing.

Ellen, a friend of mine who’s a student at Reed and Senior Reactor Operator at the Reed Research Reactor, has been spending the last few days answering questions about radiation dosage virtually nonstop (I’ve actually seen her interrupt them with “brb, reactor”). She suggested a chart might help put different amounts of radiation into perspective, and so with her help, I put one together. She also made one of her own; it has fewer colors, but contains more information about what radiation exposure consists of and how it affects the body.

As well as the fab pic:

Enjoy.  Share.  Help kill the hype from the mainstream media.