I see many of my friends and followers posting and re-posting scary articles about Fukushima on social media. I understand why people are concerned, I would be if I wasn't a nuclear engineer that knew the facts and monitored the situation. The thing is, people love conspiracy theories and catastrophes which is why these exaggerated articles are shared on the internet. However, they often reference false references and misuse "facts."
How do you know if what you hear about Fukushima on the internet is correct?
- Listen to only to trusted news sources and not websites you've never heard of.
- Click on and actually read the references in the article.
- Check the TEPCO website for accurate and up-to-date information.
- Ignore scare tactics (e.g. "radiation cloud").
- If it sounds like a conspiracy theory, it is probably false.
- Remember that U.S. and international agencies are working with Japan to monitor the site constantly and would alert us immediately if we were in danger.
This is a follow up to my post last week on Fukushima radiation reaching the West Coast.
Link the most ridiculous articles you've seen on Fukushima in the comments.