# Why does radiation exposure you have never go away? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 13, 2010, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-radiation-exposure-you-have-never-go-away/539246 "2010-05-13T01:18:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-radiation-exposure-you-have-never-go-away/539246/21 "2010-05-14T17:51:02Z")
So, **Blake** , you’re saying that what **Pleonast** said is indisputable fact, but he’s wrong? ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-radiation-exposure-you-have-never-go-away/539246/22 "2010-05-14T21:28:49Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > So, **Blake** , you’re saying that what **Pleonast** said is indisputable fact, but he’s wrong? I think what he is saying there is a difference between a sunburn and the exposure to the sun that eventually leads to cancer. You can certainly get enough sun to “cause” cancer in the long haul without getting what is typically called a sunburn. I also recall reading somewhere that even one really bad sunburn, particularly when you are younger, significantly increases your lifetime chances of getting skin cancer. But that may just be my bad memory. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-radiation-exposure-you-have-never-go-away/539246/23 "2010-05-18T07:18:19Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > So, **Blake** , you’re saying that what **Pleonast** said is indisputable fact, but he’s wrong? Err, no. I think you need to read again for comprehension. If someone said that a case of measles will go away completely in a few days they would be 100% correct. If someone said that a case of measles can lead to irreversible life long damage, they would also be 100% correct. There is nothing inherently contradictory in those two statements. The disease we call measles does indeed completely vanish within days. During those few days it can cause massive brain damage, and that will remain forever. Do you understand now? ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-radiation-exposure-you-have-never-go-away/539246/24 "2010-05-18T17:09:17Z")
I don’t think **Blake** was disagreeing with me at all, but simply adding more information, based on what I had said. Similar to the additional information I added to **Chronos** ’ comment. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-radiation-exposure-you-have-never-go-away/539246/25 "2010-05-18T18:36:35Z")
> [@yoyodyne](#): > > And it could be that without natural background radiation the rate of cancers would drop 50% and people would live to be 120. Natural background radiation levels differ significantly from place to place. If it had an effect anywhere near that large (either good or bad), we’d know by now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-radiation-exposure-you-have-never-go-away/539246.md?page=1)