There is little doubt that the words “nuclear” and “radiation” spark fear or anxiety in many people. And you might ask, what’s so bad about that?
It’s essential to understand the root cause of this fear because of its role in the current global energy crisis. While some countries have sustained consistent investment in nuclear energy R&D and deployment, stigma around nuclear has slowed commercialization and widespread adoption, especially without U.S. leadership.
By the numbers, the fear of nuclear is irrational
Conventional bombs used in World War II released over 10 times more energy than the nuclear weapons used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined and killed 10 times more people.
The detonations in Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed over 200,000 people by the blast alone, nothing to do with radiation. Within 10 kilometers of the detonations, 64,251 survivors of the blast received significant radiation exposure. 812 of them died prematurely of cancer caused by radiation, an increased mortality of 1 percent. Many more died from famine and disease not related to the blasts.
Fifty-six people died in or very shortly after the 1986 explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear plant—despite being considered the worst nuclear accident in history. For those with significant exposure, the long-term incidence of cancer was also around 1 percent.
No deaths from radiation occurred as a result of the 2011 nuclear reactor incident at Fukushima, but more than 1,600 people died in the forced evacuation. In both Chernobyl and Fukushima, the most damaging effect was psychological, as a result of stress, depression, and economic hardship.
Meanwhile, dozens of workers in the coal, oil, and gas industries die from accidents, with thousands more falling ill from health issues caused by air pollution every year. Yet there is little to no inherent, widespread fear associated with these industries.
So, why, then, does nuclear have such a persistently bad rap?
It all comes down to memes, but not the internet kind
Today, “meme” primarily refers to viral online content. However, the origins of the terms go much deeper than cute cat videos. “Meme” was initially coined by evolutionary biologist and author Richard Dawkins to describe his theory of how knowledge develops, how beliefs are transmitted, and how they evolve over generations in complex societies.
To Dawkins, memes were the cultural equivalent of biological genes—ideas that compete with each other, with the strongest being passed along over time, like physical traits through genes. Renowned philosopher and cognitive scientist Daniel Dennett expanded on Dawkins’ work by applying the concept of memes as “cultural replicators” to explain human development over time, including political institutions, religion, and social structure.
Let’s look at one of the most pervasive memes of all time: the story of the Garden of Eden from the Bible. This archetype of good vs. evil, the quest for power, fatal flaws, and downfalls is present across many religions and belief systems.
Based on the premise that the most “viral,” not necessarily the most factual, ideas prevail, we can begin to unpack why energy in general has been a source of memes throughout history, and why the nuclear-fear meme has had particular staying power.
Energy is, well, powerful
Whether it was harnessing fire more than 100,000 years ago, the explosion in biochemical energy provided by the advent of agriculture 20,000 years ago, or the industrial use of coal to produce heat and steam 150 years ago, energy is central to not only human progress and a better quality of life, but also survival.
Energy, in all its forms, is great fodder for memes. It provides comfort, mobility, a foundation for further innovation, and yet it’s also highly dangerous at times, creating coexisting feelings of hope and fear. It’s based in science, which means that most people don’t really understand how it works, and much of it is invisible to the naked eye. That’s why science, magic, and alchemy are so intertwined in our cultural narratives. Mystery and the unknown are especially meme-y.
In the book, “The Rise of Nuclear Fear,” Spencer Weart, traces our fear of nuclear back to the late 1800s, when electricity was becoming more ubiquitous, and science was mixing with science fiction. “Frankenstein” was a popular book, then a popular film. Inventors claimed to have created “death rays.” Modern chemistry was established as a legitimate science, but still coexisted with belief in alchemy.
The age-old meme of Adam being tempted by the apple in the Garden of Eden had morphed into what was relevant in that time. Energy and science were temptations capable of destroying society and all that was held sacred.
Then the meme refreshed again. By the mid-1930s, scientists recognized atomic power as scientifically plausible. Later in the decade, nuclear fission was widely touted as both a source of limitless energy and a “terrible weapon.”
Nuclear is a lesson in extremes
What’s notable about nuclear is its extremes. Perhaps no other form of energy has seemingly limitless potential for profound, widespread good (energy), and at the same time, capability of massive, severe devastation (weapons). Additionally, because radiation is invisible, lingering, and hard to pin down, it’s seen as poison and taboo as opposed to an acceptable industrial risk.
Up until World War II, the “good energy” side of nuclear’s brand had similar weight to “bad weapons” side. But as the decade progressed, the nuclear fear meme intensified, with worry that Germany would develop an atomic bomb first. Then, of course, in 1945, the United States dropped the world’s first atomic bomb on Japan, and the fear of nuclear went from theory to horrifying reality.
In terms of virality, it’s difficult to match the drama that led to the development and use of nuclear weapons and the enshrinement of it as the ultimate power. There was an inordinate level of secrecy and intrigue surrounding the development of the bombs by the U.S. and Germany, although Germany surrendered without being close to having a bomb. Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor created a new concept of American vulnerability as well as justification, among many, for nuclear retaliation. Despite the myriad of good vs. evil at play in World War II as a whole, the atomic bomb was the game-changer, attaching overlapping and simultaneous notions of duty, triumph, revenge, guilt, rage, and profound sadness.
The meme continued to build power with the Soviet Union’s development of atomic weapons and the ensuing Cold War. The world already knew what a single country could do with nuclear weapons, and now it grappled with the reality of nuclear holocaust resulting from multiple countries having them, countries with staunchly conflicting ideologies.
This fear held the world captive for more than 30 years, punctuated by geopolitical scares like the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, the Soviet Union and NATO deploying medium-range nuclear missiles in Europe, and a NATO-led exercise that the Soviet Union misread as preparations for an actual military strike. And while the nuclear reactor accidents caused a relatively small number of deaths, the psychological damage and societal damage were significant.
A new apple in the Garden of Eden
Through this lens, it’s easier to understand why fear of nuclear persists to this day. But there is evidence that the Garden of Eden meme is changing again. A 2025 Pew Research Center report states that about 60 percent of U.S. adults now favor more nuclear power plants for electricity. That’s up from 43 percent in 2020.
Can you guess what the new technology “apple” in the Garden of Eden is? Probably: artificial intelligence. In a separate Pew study from 2025, 50 percent of U.S. adults say they’re more concerned than excited about the increased use of AI in daily life. This is up from 37 percent in 2021. So, in the past four to five years, one could argue that fear and anxiety over nuclear has decreased by nearly 40 percent (17 percentage points), while fear and anxiety over AI has increased by 35 percent (13 percentage points).
We plotted the Pew study data below.
Ironically, investment in nuclear power is mainly being driven by the need for data centers to power AI. So essentially, we’re letting go of one fear (nuclear), in response to the lure of another forbidden fruit (AI).
With any luck, our fears of AI will prove to be overblown. Let’s hope so, because either way, we need more power. A lot more. And for that, we need to retire the nuclear fear meme once and for all.
In the meantime, I’m going to watch some cat videos.
