Little attention was paid to the periodic CONELRAD broadcasts.

June 5, 2022 2:51 PM

The 1960 American Institute for Research study report, Psychological and Social Adjustment in a Simulated Shelter, observed volunteers confined for two weeks in simulated fall-out shelters with various temperatures and room sizes. (Via Bill Geerhart on twitter.)
posted by eotvos (9 comments total)

Oh, this is the basis for the multiple vault plot in, um... I think it's Fallout? All these social experiments being run on people locked away in fallout shelters.
posted by hippybear at 2:55 PM on June 5, 2022 [2 favorites]

Fallout does indeed have that plot; no idea if the creators were aware of these specific experiments. There is a mod to add CONELRAD radio broadcasts to Fallout 3
posted by Canageek at 4:35 PM on June 5, 2022 [2 favorites]

I wonder if a subset of the American population would become radiation truthers, or does the boogeyman of high energy particles even scare Alex Jones and his ilk?
posted by nickggully at 6:38 PM on June 5, 2022 [2 favorites]

“The general consensus after a night’s experience of sleeping 41 persons on 30 bunks was that shift sleeping would have been preferable.”

And smoking was apparently allowed, being 1960 and all.
posted by sageleaf at 8:03 PM on June 5, 2022

Unrelated to the actual post, but I get a huge kick out of the radio in my classic station wagon still having the CONELRAD markers on the dial.
posted by hwyengr at 8:48 PM on June 5, 2022 [4 favorites]

"Radiation Truthers" is also a plot point in several Fallout games, including Fallout 3 and Fallout 4 (especially the expansion pack Far Harbour). In the latter one, you even get the chance to attempt deprogramming one of these Truthers.
posted by Enkidude at 8:39 AM on June 6, 2022

subset of the American population would become radiation truthers
They're already out there. See: Current Oregon state senator, long-time also-ran Art Robinson

“All we need do with nuclear waste is dilute it to a low radiation level and sprinkle it over the ocean—or even over America after hormesis is better understood and verified with respect to more diseases.” And: “If we could use it to enhance our own drinking water here in Oregon, where background radiation is low, it would hormetically enhance our resistance to degenerative diseases. Alas, this would be against the law.”

You'll also see people suggesting a national health program to replace house foundations with bricks containing diluted nuclear waste, similarly.
posted by CrystalDave at 10:29 AM on June 6, 2022 [3 favorites]

hormesis
posted by Splunge at 12:23 PM on June 6, 2022 [1 favorite]

Totally irrelevant to the subject, but I love the font(s) in this report. I'll have to figure out what they're using.
posted by Fleeno at 6:41 PM on June 9, 2022