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1UP's Steve Watts has put together an article that analyzes how accurate the portrayal of Fallout's wasteland is when it comes to the aftermaths of a nuclear war and the sociological aspect. Luckily for us, the article was written with help of two experts: Dr. Curtis Miyamoto, chairperson of the radiation oncology department at Temple University School of Medicine, and Dr. Karen Cerulo, chair of the sociology department at Rutgers University. Excerpt from the article ahead:<blockquote>In very general terms, Dr. Miyamoto says the world would be livable. "Most of the isotopes would be gone and the half-life would have expired, so they would be safe," Miyamoto told 1UP. Most major fallout products have relatively a short half-life as compared to the dozens of years before vault-dwellers explore the wastes.
On the other hand, it's hard to predict how a body might react if sealed away in a vault, as the plot of Fallout games often requires. "People are exposed to radiation every day, normally, going outside," he said. "You're exposed to more radiation living in Denver [Colorado] than living in New Jersey. So to compare to someone who has never been exposed to radiation, we don't know. What we do know is that the body has innate repair mechanisms. Would those mechanisms be impaired by not having them stimulated at a young age? That scenario doesn't actually exist, so just as conjecture: probably not. Our own body's defense system would be intact and passed on genetically from our parents."
And while irradiated water is a serious threat in Fallout, and even a major plot point in Fallout 3. Miyamoto suggests that wouldn't actually be much of a threat. "I don't think any of the contaminants would still be residual, so I would think the water supply would be relatively safe unless you're near a highly radioactive area." </blockquote>
On the other hand, it's hard to predict how a body might react if sealed away in a vault, as the plot of Fallout games often requires. "People are exposed to radiation every day, normally, going outside," he said. "You're exposed to more radiation living in Denver [Colorado] than living in New Jersey. So to compare to someone who has never been exposed to radiation, we don't know. What we do know is that the body has innate repair mechanisms. Would those mechanisms be impaired by not having them stimulated at a young age? That scenario doesn't actually exist, so just as conjecture: probably not. Our own body's defense system would be intact and passed on genetically from our parents."
And while irradiated water is a serious threat in Fallout, and even a major plot point in Fallout 3. Miyamoto suggests that wouldn't actually be much of a threat. "I don't think any of the contaminants would still be residual, so I would think the water supply would be relatively safe unless you're near a highly radioactive area." </blockquote>
