Lucy Jane Santos
From the Publisher
Tracing uranium’s past—and how it intersects with our understanding of other radioactive elements—Chain Reactions aims to enlighten readers and refresh our attitudes about the atomic world.
Chain Reactions looks at the fascinating, often-forgotten stories that can be found throughout the history of uranium. From glassworks to penny stocks; from medicines to atomic weapons; from something to be feared to a powerful source of energy, this global history explores the scientific narrative of this unique element, but also shines a light on its cultural and social impact.
By understanding our nuclear past, we can move beyond the ideological opposition to technologies and encourage a more nuanced dialogue about whether it is feasible—and desirable—to have a genuinely nuclear-powered future.
Reviews
“Chain Reactions is full of bright detail, as Santos lays out the ways that uranium has been found and extracted from Earth, penetrating human life.” — Undark Magazine
“Ms. Santos explores both the academic and popular literature to unearth long-forgotten stories, both entertaining and horrifying, that capture the broader impact of uranium on our society.” — The Wall Street Journal
“Chain Reactions is an essential read for those interested in the history and future of our applications of the atomic nucleus. It is enlightening, engaging, tragic, funny, accurate, and optimistic, all at once. Lucy Jane Santos’ research and analysis have uncovered nearly-forgotten archival information and cleanly extracted an authoritative reality from stories riddled with myth and controversy. I’ve engaged with nuclear history for the past 20 years, and yet still learned something new and important on each page.” — Nick Touran, author of What is Nuclear
“A fascinating and richly detailed history charting an illuminating course through the story of one of the most useful and destructive elements.” — Kat Arney, science writer and broadcaster
“Uranium has lurked at the centre of some of our strangest visions and strongest fears in the modern world. Lucy Jane Santos has written a light, entertaining and revealing history of a heavy element.” — Professor Jon Agar, University College London
“Full of surprising facts from a tumultuous past, Lucy Jane Santos offers an intriguing and entertaining story of a powerful element with revolutionary potential.” — Marco Visscher, author of The Power of Nuclear: The Rise, Fall and Return of Our Mightiest Energy Source
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[Recorded and posted on May 8, 2025.]