What is a Fallout Meter?
A fallout meter is a radiation-measuring device that could be used to assess the amount of radiation in the ambient environment in the aftermath of a nuclear war. The name of the meter is a reference to fallout, highly radioactive particles that would rain down over large areas of the United States, Europe, and/or Russia in the event of a full-scale nuclear war. In the immediate hours, days, and weeks after the explosions, these particles would emit enough radiation to kill anyone unfortunate enough to be out in the open unshielded. Unfortunately, since the end of the Cold War, most people place little priority on learning about the dangers of fallout, and will hence be entirely unprepared in the event of a nuclear war. A particle detector used to measure ionizing radiation, a fallout meter is an ion chamber that measures the prevalence of radiation by measuring its effects on a charged gas chamber. When a particle of ionizing radiation strikes the particles in the chamber, it causes t
