The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone: Ukraine’s Nuclear Eden

[@geographicstravel]

To learn more than ever from important non-fiction books, join me on Shortform: shortform.com/geographics. You’ll get a 5-day free trial and a discounted annual subscription. One of my favorite books on Shortform is Prisoners of Geography.

[@barrydysert2974]

Favorite new term of the day: Ruin Porn Epically succinct!:-) 🖖

[@jwenting]

I don't trust anyone to write a correct summary of material I find interesting, thank you very much.

[@--enyo--]

Is there any possibility we could get a Geographics podcast like we do the Biographics podcast? I’ve been really enjoying listening to it over the last few months.

[@danisyx5804]

Nucleotides are organic molecules found in the nucleus of cells not radioactive fallout you numpty

[@Sarah-bw8tm]

Wild plant life is also evolving in the CEZ unlike anywhere else. There’s a type of radiotrophic fungus growing at the power plant called Cladosporoim Sphaerospermum that not only consumes radiation for energy to grow, but it also has the ability to block and neutralize radiation. NASA is currently studying it at the ISS to see if has applications for longer term space travel.

[@justincase5583]

Tremendous!

[@ex-navyspook]

I wonder what the implications are for longer-term cleanup; does it consume and process the radioactive elements into safer materials (which would be an incredible feat), or does it store them safely? The latter would be problematic because, unless they're fireproof, any radioactive materials they contain would go up in smoke. I'll have to look into them.

[@iyikigormusum]

*Have you ever seen a RAINBOW MOUNT? You MUST SEE tHIS! Watch on our latest video now!*

[@Tisen90]

Nice! This is how the Flood is born.

[@spinymold]

Nuclear powered mushrooms 🍄

[@MisterOcclusion]

Have you ever thought of doing a bit on the red zones in France? Areas that are uninhabitable as a result of WWI

[@chrismeredith3626]

That'd be very interesting!

[@mizzshortie907]

I would love to see that

[@HallsteinI]

Zone Rouge! The French govt. expects the process of removing unexploded ordnance will take another 900 years, with parts of the Somme and Verdun remaining uninhabitable for another 10000 years. A war that lasted just four years will reverberate into the future for twice as long as the time elapsed since the ancient Egyptians until today. It's absolutely mind blowing.

[@ex-navyspook]

I think I read something about a farmer being killed this year (2021) when lightning detonated an unexposed shell; might be thinking of something else. Either way, the amount of ordinance that's still undiscovered is no bueno.

[@christianbigdawg2481]

This sounds more interesting than the current video😂😂

[@DanielLopez-up6os]

My uncle in Eastern Eeurope was Playing outside around that timeframe, and then it rained and my uncle became sick for a few weeks with no idea why. Later on it was realized it was probably the radioactive particle that the rain brought down with it, and gave him minor radiation sickness.

[@ignitionfrn2223]

1:40 - Chapter 1 - The name of the star 4:40 - Chapter 2 - Apocalypse now 7:45 - Mid roll ads 9:35 - Chapter 3 - The land of alienation 13:00 - Chapter 4 - Life in the ruins 16:35 - Chapter 5 - People of the zone 20:45 - Chapter 6 - The 2nd inferno

[@Leftistsareevil]

Thanks

[@prapanthebachelorette6803]

Thanks

[@customer_service1]

Poo eah.

[@Jaeden_Phoenix]

If anyone wants to see some good but relaxed videos on the Exclusion Zone, I recommend the channel "Bald and Bankrupt". It's just a british dude going around the former soviet union and having a good time, but getting real first-hand stories from the old people that lived through the soviet era.

[@MacKennaTheGoddessofRadiation]

Sounds like simon with a trabbi But nah that sounds cool

[@velvetdip]

I second this, Benjamin presents with humour, but at the same time is very respectful of the people he meets and the stories he tells. Thoroughly recommended content 🙂

[@dangledangleton]

bald is amazing i second this

[@calebkrochalk8286]

I was thinking of bald and that old guy, Kolya the whole time.

[@Warhawk76]

Yes, his channel is awesome!

[@TH3H0LYJ3BUS]

Simon, you should have mentioned the catfish. Since they obviously don't give a fuck about radiation, there are catfish between 6-8' long in the reactor ponds now

[@StrangeScaryNewEngland]

I remember Jeremy Wade fishing there and the fish had ficked up rows of teeth that shouldn't of been there

[@nlwilson4892]

There used to be some rather large herring-gulls at Sellafield until they covered the storage ponds.

[@bongusdongus2137]

“A Rhode Island sized area of toxic land”, also known as Rhode Island

[@concept5631]

Lol

[@JohnSmith-eo5sp]

20:44 "It is better to live with radiation than with war" - how fitting for that land

[@scorpio9960]

This is definitely the video that taught me more about Chernobyl than I had previously known. How scary a forest fire could still spread death this long after. I live in Texas and it wasn’t that long ago that the smoke of a fire in California was choking us. Very informative. Thank you Simon and team!

[@andreivaldez2929]

Just another reason to pray that a giant earthquake breaks off California from the rest of the US and allows it to float off and into the Pacific.

[@iyikigormusum]

*Have you ever seen a RAINBOW MOUNT? You MUST SEE this beauty! Watch on our latest video now!*

[@jordaneggerman4734]

@@andreivaldez2929 that won't stop the fires that will be (and already are) happening elsewhere...

[@JohnSmith-eo5sp]

23:47 Is this what u r referring to?

[@discordye4825]

This is a video missing a ton of information. He says there's only a few people scattered throughout the CEZ...that's false. There's somewhere around 2k people living and thriving there. Full villages. Also, Yellowstone's wolves have been back for a few years now. Multiple packs with over 80 members each. It's a good video, but he is wrong on a few points.

[@andycleve6690]

“Instagram ruin porn” My new favorite quote

[@StoneInMySandal]

Nobody ever talks about the fact the other three reactors at Chernobyl kept running until 2000.

[@Kirovets7011]

That's right. But the reason for that is simple: There weren't done any dangerous tests with those three, unlike with the number 4 reactor. These 3 remaining reactors luckily just kept running normal, until they were switched off in 2000.

[@andyb1653]

@@Kirovets7011 Only reactors 1 and 3 kept running that long. Reactor 2 was shut down in 1991 after a fire.

[@graemeking7336]

Mr No Body

[@AvB.83]

I didn't know about that, just looked it up... looks like they even continued to build reactors 5 & 6 for a while after the catastrophe before abandoning them. So they actually had hundreds of workers on site all the time until 2000.

[@jwenting]

@@AvB.83 yup, they were bussed in and out in busses with windows that were sealed.

[@theblackbaron4119]

I've played S.T.A.L.K.E.R. I know how to deal with those hotspots, just toss a steel bolt into the anomaly. It should dissipate temporarily.

[@ArakDBlade]

And then the bloodsucker jumps you

[@lestabithasadventures]

We thank you, oh Monolith, for revealing the cunning plans of your enemies to us. May your light shine down on the souls of the brave soldiers who gave their lives in service to your will. Onward warriors of the Monolith, avenge your fallen brothers, blessed as they are in their eternal union with the Monolith. Bring death to those who spurned the holy power of the Monolith

[@SEMIA123]

Cheeki Breeki

[@Furykidxxx]

Beware of those mutants tho

[@elliottprice6084]

I'm surprised just how much of the exclusion zone has been reclaimed by nature. As fascinating as it is eerie

[@apho-sappho]

It feels so strange to me, humans can't go there without protection, yet nature runs its course and overtakes it.

[@evanulven8249]

Mother nature is badass. We hairless apes keep forgetting that we are not actually the masters of Earth.

[@Katarn1933]

I'd like to add, that city of Chernobyl (far enough from Power Plant, but inside zone) Houses personal that supports Zone. They have running and hot water, there is one store and even an ATM. Can't say for rest of Zone, but buildings around power Plant has proper power, running water and other 'luxuries'. I just wanted to add this small info, since you said, that Samosely doesn't have access to store.

[@semiempireistic]

That's good info thank you

[@gentleken7864]

It's interesting, there's a channel of some guy called Shiey who goes to some weird abandoned places around the world and he and two friends walked across the exclusion zone (obviously not allowed) and stayed a couple of nights in Pripyat in one of the abandoned housing blocks. Thing is, there were a fair few others, who had 'broken in' and were doing the same. He went to and climbed the Duga Radar area which was very cool. Their dosimeters showed some areas to be 'okay'. Still a bit dangerous for my liking, but excellent viewing.

[@mikevoisine2886]

Story goes, he died of cancer...

[@Casemanager69]

Still putting some awesome exploration content out!

[@mooreanonumbers]

​@@mikevoisine2886 if you'd seen his vids you'd know cancer is the least of his concerns

[@mooreanonumbers]

Shiey's Chernobyl vid is probably one of the most incredible thing I've seen on KZbin, for so many reasons You're right, the numbers shown on the dosimeters weren't super alarming most times, especially on the outer edges and Pripyat

[@JamesSmith-cv9di]

@@mikevoisine2886 Yeah, that's not true. Dude just posted a couple videos last month.

[@TheGrinningViking]

I logged into shortform to check out what it said about Simon's channels and it redirected me to "bald KZbin bollock" and "professional quality writing and editing" - Useful!

[@UncleManuel]

That message at the end really radiates the feeling... 😁 (sorry not sorry for the pun) But in Austria and most of Bavaria (Germany) it is still forbidden to collect mushrooms in the woods. Even wild boars are not allowed to be eaten or sold by the hunters - instead the meat has to be measured and then destroyed... 🙁

[@jacob4920]

A small cost, really. Mushrooms can be easily attained from other parts of the world these days, and hunting wild boars is not terribly critical for human survival anymore. I don't mean to downplay what's going on in other countries, but it could be so much worse. The fact that it's not is damn-near miraculous. It's also a testament to just how damn tenacious mother nature truly is!

[@Kirovets7011]

Really?! I heard that since 2015, the wild boars could be eaten again. I feel very sorry for Austria and Bavaria that it is still not possible to eat those things you mentioning....😢😢

[@UncleManuel]

@@Kirovets7011 Yepp, in Bavaria you still have "hotspots" 35 years later. In some areas the boars still ramp up over 600 Becquerel per kilogram. Because caesium-137... 👀

[@Foolish188]

I would go crazy if I couldn't collect wild mushrooms. There are deep culturally significance to collecting mushrooms in Austria, Bavaria and especially Ukraine. I wouldn't be able to walk in the woods without being tempted.

[@crf80fdarkdays]

@@jacob4920 what a load of shite

[@theblackbaron4119]

The fallout from the Chernobyl dissaster, in the south of Austria, we're still not adviced yo gather certain mushrooms. According to a recent study of said mushrooms they are still containing still too much of certain caesium isotopes.

[@Banidil]

Imagine the two cities nuked lol. These are just utterly destroyed communities

[@kevingraham8249]

@@Banidil "over 400 times more radiation than the bomb that hit HIroshima" somewhere around the 5 minute mark. Both Hiroshima and Nagasaki are thriving communities.

[@dirrtyhairry]

Eure Verbote sind bei uns nur noch warnungen.

[@jwenting]

@@Banidil Hiroshima and Nagasaki were airbursts and relatively clean. Those cities are quite safe to live in and have been for decades. Fukushima too is relatively clean, in part because the amount of contamination was far less, in part because the retreating flood waves scoured the land of a lot of contaminated topsoil, flushing it into the sea where it's long since dispersed to undetectable levels.

[@jordaneggerman4734]

@@Banidil there is a _massive_ difference between an atomic bomb, which detonated nearly 2,000 feet above sea level, and a nuclear power plant erupting a core, and having an open-air fire where that core used to be. That is why the biggest worry about nukes is some failed state actors, or just regular terrorists, getting their hands on one. One bomb would likely cause upwards of ten times more damage in the hands of someone, who doesn't have a plane to drop it from, than a large military dropping an airburst weapon. This is because, when you detonate a nuke on the ground, it vaporizes soil, and sends it shooting upwards...causing a ridiculous amount of fallout, even compared to something like Chernobyl. If you're gonna make a comment like that, it would help to understand how nukes are used, and why...

[@cynthiasimpson931]

In 1986 I was 27 years old, so I have vivid memories of the Chernobyl accident as things were happening., The earliest news I remember was a report from Sweden, consisting of a report of radiation being picked up by monitors in Sweden.

[@L.J.Kommer]

"Nuclear Eden" is the most heavy metal way to say "Muscovite fuck-up."

[@terenceconnors9627]

US Pacific Command's Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief team was monitoring the Fukushima disaster as it developed. We spent two weeks straight analyzing satellite and aerial photography and reviewing industry reports. It was clearly hell, and Japan's government was clearly lying about how serious the accident was. By day 2, it was obvious those reactors were utterly screwed. As of 2021, anyone claiming Chernobyl is a worse nuclear disaster is making a false comparison. We've got 25 more years of data on Chernobyl, plus plenty of Western researchers willing to embarrass Russia.

[@tomaskisielis356]

It would be also interesting to see this topic from the Belarus side. Palieski state of radiological reserve. Land has never been cleaned even though it was highly contaminated , up to this day there are massive exclusion zones with a high levels of radiation. However, there is even more interesting thing - people. Villages with plenty of radiation affected children who were separated from the society, now they are adults at least those who are still alive .. this topic is probably for a different channel of yours, nevertheless very interesting ;)

[@cameronclare2132]

Search up Bald And Bankrupt's videos from the Belarus Exclusion Zone!

[@discordye4825]

​@@cameronclare2132 came to say this...Kolya is a legend.

[@concept5631]

​@@cameronclare2132Interesting

[@rumatadestora]

Finally, an episode about my country. Not in the best context, though

[@aphrog649]

:0 я не говорю по-украинский но я изучаю русский язык, это трудный 😅 я хочу ехать в украину и изучаю русский язык

[@fencepostjay2496]

That's okay, Bald and Bankrupt has your back.

[@zopEnglandzip]

I like boxing and history, 10% of everything I watch has something to do with your country or countrymen!

[@aceundead4750]

It could be worse though, this video is at least talking about how nature has managed to not just survive but after decades begin to thrive again in pockets of the affected area

[@TheKML777]

My country, Indonesia, is in three Geographics episodes. And all of them is about three of the most destructive volcanoes in history.

[@Bb13190]

A lot of people work in the nuclar plant, not just guard and naturalist. The 15 days shift is only for people who lives inside the zone, in the Chernoyl city 15km from the plant. But people living outside the exclusion zone (mostly Slavutych) can work all years long in the zone.

[@ryank5424]

The idea of massive fire sends shivers down the spine. Grateful I'm nowhere near that area.

[@janstan8407]

Wormwood looks more pale and "dusty" in N. America, but it's a large green herb that is rather cool looking and quite large.

[@niznikb]

Every time I heard "radionucleotide", it was difficult to stop myself from screaming: "You mean: radioNUCLIDE!!!". I know that it sounds extra sophisticated when you add an extra syllable to a word that already sounds "superscientific". But it bugs me. Yeah, I'm a nerd. But I still love your videos...

[@owenshebbeare2999]

Likely the script is in error, as well as the editing. Narrators read "sic erat scripum", they don't improvise or correct as they go.

[@TauAlphaVu]

Yep, as someone who has worked in radiological control, that is something that seriously bugged me while watching this video.

[@prapanthebachelorette6803]

My biochemistry nerd self was ticking so hard hearing this lol 😂

[@lilblinchik2500]

My Uncle and Aunt got married on the day it happened in Minsk. My mom told me it was beautiful weather that day so they spent time outside while the cloud of debris blew over.

[@JohnDoe-pv2iu]

The DMZ dividing the Koreas is a great wildlife reserve...

[@reinatycoon3644]

One fascinating thing about the Chernobyl reactor is that as a result of all the radiation a new species of radiation feeding fungi evolved in the reactor. It's called radio trophic fungi and literally gets energy from radiation and the by product of absorbing the radiation turns them jet black. Nature can be so amazing. You forgot to mention that domestic pets like dogs and cats that survived are still there breeding and have slightly mutated.

[@jamesbohlman4297]

I have some forestry training and this video got my attention; excellent job Simon.

[@demoneIephant]

I know it is genuinely really tragic and horrifying even thinking about Chernobyl. But every time I see that ferris wheel I think of Cod 4

[@TursiopsLibra]

Speaking of naming, spelling 'Chornobyl' is more correct. 'Chornobyl' is based on naming of corresponding town in Ukrainian language. And it is more correct to use nowadays, especially if you are touching Ukraine's perspective. Spelling 'Chernobyl' (which recently was popularized by HBO's series) has origins in Russian language. It was used in all USSR's communications, because Russian was the only USSR's official language, and Soviet Union never weakened russification policy (meaning forced usage of Russian language in all official documents, science, higher arts, press, communication etc) started in times of Russian Empire. In fact, usage 'Chernobyl' spelling is very similar to uzing 'Bombei' to Mumbai: naming former colony's city by the word used by metropoly.

[@zaxarispetixos8728]

When the reactor exploded it was called chernobyl so stop being butthurt about it, we will not change history books because ukraine has changed half the names in the country in the last years.

[@TursiopsLibra]

@@zaxarispetixos8728 does you comment mean, that you principally keep calling city of Mumbai 'Bombei', or use 'Rhodesia' instead of Zimbabwe?

[@zaxarispetixos8728]

@@TursiopsLibra when i am talking about things that happened 100 years ago yes i will call it rhodesia. If the name is officially changed now in chernobyl they can change it on the map and maybe we start using it.

[@floramew]

The chernobyl disaster & its aftermath are one of my special interests-- and it's so nice that I feel like I've heard nearly as much, these days, about said aftermath, bc I'm just as interested in this as I am the dramatic disaster itself.

[@Melody_Raventress]

Anything about Nuclear Science fascinates me! Are you an Aspie by any chance?

[@finleydavies96]

Can you do the Belarusian exclusion zone as it isnt conved much in main stream people dont know it exist

[@cilldublin07]

Theres a channel called bald and bankrupt and he goes into the belarusian exclusion zone tours around it and meets people living there

[@fencepostjay2496]

@@cilldublin07, I was just about to say the same thing. Got to love ol' bald and corrupt.

[@finleydavies96]

@@cilldublin07 thank you so much

[@eireduchess]

Bald and Bankrupt here on KZbin has a series where he visits the cez and the people who still live there. A very good watch

[@harleycynofficial]

Best Chernobyl short I've seen. I like how you covered the Biblical angle as well as the etymology. A lot of documentaries overlook those interesting nuggets.

[@GlenCooper-sj4lh]

Just a small correction Simon. Nucleotide should be nuclide, or radionuclide if you like. You're videos are getting better all the time.

[@DerptyDerptyDUM]

I remember the "experimental" Biographics video on Chernobyl coming out & knowing damn well that this channel would be next on the docket. 😅 Still my favorite of Simon's "serious" channels.

[@Touay.]

the greatest fallout of the Chernobyl npp explosion ... a great series of computer games!

[@andrewmastrandonas5123]

THIS WAS AN EXCELLENT VIDEO--ONE OF YOUR BEST!

[@nocturne7371]

I had to check the date of this video, no one could have ever imagined that Russian soldiers would dig trenches in the Red forest just months after this video.

[@creeps5158]

You already know this is gonna be good

[@cheeseguy6238]

It's been a minute since I've watched one of these. The beard is looking better than ever!

[@Gersti96]

17:20 people claiming that there is nothing to fear because something is invisible? Sounds somehow familiar…..

[@andreivaldez2929]

Bootlicking is what brought on the disaster in the first place, lol.

[@nighthawknina86]

"life finds a way". thx jurassic park!

[@nlwilson4892]

Hmm...and one of the subsequent films featured a huge mutant dinosaur!

[@jman6169]

There is a channel called Bald and Bankrupt who has made many videos travelling and documenting life in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Well worth watching, he is a great guy

[@jrmckim]

Love all your channels, Simon.

[@sandybarnes887]

All 11?

[@juliestevens6931]

I found this one to be one of your most fascinating videos. Thank you. I even gave it a thumbs up. I very seldom do that.

[@janboreczek3045]

An interesting thing is that the area in which Chernobyl lies is Polesia (a formerly swampy backwater of Europe, roughly in the modern border between Ukraine and Belarus with some minor parts of it in Poland and Russia). It is a likely candidate of the original homeland of the Slavs, from which they might've emerged from under the radar of history and expanded quickly

[@FloozieOne]

This was fascinating. I knew quite a bit about it, in particular the horses and wolves that you mentioned, but as many people I had been lulled by the illusion that as long as you stayed out of the worst of the zone you were perfectly safe. The idea that radioactive elements can "migrate" due to natural causes is chilling, but, I suppose, to be expected. However the wildfires are another whole story. Your explanation of how the radiation becomes part of the wood of those trees is amazing. What I wonder is if the fires spread the poison to the areas that are currently at very low levels. The animals seem to avoid the areas of high contamination, although how they know to do that is worth an entire scientific study in itself, but if the radiation travels to the places they are now living will it mean the wildlife will go into a population crash perhaps never to recover? People can move away, personally if I lived in Kiev I would be well on my way to somewhere else, but animals don't have the option to move very far as least not before encountering murderous humans. Is there any information about this? And who knew that, among all the disasters that climate change is having and will continue to have, radiation poisoning would be on the list.

[@lisamoulton2540]

I love the Chernobyl videos! Radiation is fascinating to me. You can't see it and it's effects on the body have not been studied enough to find much in the way of treatment 😒. SIMON- will you do a video about how to treat Radiation sickness?? 👍👍👍 Thanks again

[@gloriaswims3478]

Im having radiation now for cancer. Its not fun.

[@AvB.83]

"Most of it is mostly safe, most of the time." Isn't that also a decent description of a lot of soviet technology? Sojus, MIR, Chernobyl...

[@iyikigormusum]

*Have you ever seen a RAINBOW MOUNT? You MUST SEE THIS! Watch on our channel now!*

[@codyg7936]

Yeah kinda like the way the US describes riots as “Mostly Peaceful protests”…

[@saradapagediocletian9707]

Simon said Rhode Island! That's my home state!

[@SundayBacon72210]

Great video my friend. This area has always fascinated me, never had the courage to visit.

[@Lauriej117]

Go for it!😂

[@Miguel_El_Chileno]

There were 192 tonnes of uranium fuel in Reactor 4 of the Chernobyl NPP, up to 30 % 56 tonnes were blown out of the Reactor when it exploded ?!

[@discordye4825]

Kolya still lives in the CEZ! You really need to do some more research into the villages in the CEZ. There's much more than a few babushka's..there's full villages with up to 50 people in them.

[@amyg9518]

Aw, no mention of the solar plant. Still a great video. I always wonder why people who cover this leave out the Red Forest so often.

[@milk-it]

Fascinating insight, Simon. I thought the whole place was a dead zone. Nice work.

[@myownboss1]

Like the late great George Carlin said, when we damage the earth, we only harm ourselves, not the earth, because once we humans are gone, the rain will keep falling, rivers get cleansed, and plants and trees and animals come back…

[@jondoolio]

That beaver eating was so freaking cute!

[@dingleberryhandpump802]

I love this video. Oddly enough, a guided tour of Chernobyl/Pripyat is at the top of my list of places to travel to abroad.

[@iyikigormusum]

*Have you ever seen a RAINBOW MOUNT? You MUST SEE this beauty! Watch on our latest video now!*

[@deltacx1059]

Might be a good idea to chop down a bunch of the trees and store the wood somewhere to be disposed of.

[@paulbennett772]

No, Simon, nuclides, not nucleotides!

[@bushmanPMRR]

Even by Simons usually very high standards this seemed even better than usual. I'm now thinking about the wolves of Chernobyl!

[@CornholioPuppetMaster]

Planting hemp helps clean up some of the radiation from the environment

[@my351gt]

Hi there love the work you do on your many channels and I find Chernobyl subject very interesting and everything that has happened but I was wondering if you were able to get in contact with anyone at the new safe confinement and see how the clean up is doing and how the new structure is holding up to the job since it's completion 😊

[@leesonoutdoors]

Always enjoy the mini History lessons and thoughts

[@swirrllfolfsky9803]

As Ian Malcolm from Jurassic park would say, "life finds a way"

[@stefanavic6630]

10:25 - I don't think that's how a half-life works. Isn't half life the time it takes for a given mass to decay into lighter elements and/or stable isotopes of the same element so that only half of the original radioactive elemental isotope mass now remains? That "half-mass" will now take the same time for it halve again into a quarter of the the original mass.

[@iyikigormusum]

*Have you ever seen a RAINBOW MOUNTAIN? You MUST SEE THIS! Watch on our channel now!*

[@nlwilson4892]

You are correct, Simon got it wrong (or to be precise his scriptwriter did). Note that there is also biological half-life which is the time it takes for plants and animals to expel half the radiation.

[@crf80fdarkdays]

You are correct in your sphinctering

[@Heka41]

Fantastic video, so informative.

[@Immudzen]

What I think is really interesting is that we can clearly see that nature does better in a nuclear fallout zone than it does around humans. It is definitely not safe there for them and they do suffer genetic damage and other issues but still better than being around humans. I think it does a very good job of showing how bad we are for the environment.

[@Transilvanian90]

That's a terrible take, just the usual edgy misanthropy.

[@Immudzen]

@@Transilvanian90 What part of what I sad was incorrect?

[@Transilvanian90]

@@Immudzen For a precise answer of what you said wrong, the genetic damage is literally mentioned in the video. Secondly, the whole comment is basically a "muh humans evil" rant. The vast majority of animal species worldwide are doing just fine, so you can keep your misanthropy to yourself.

[@weswes.3485]

I would really love to visit there one day. Love watching videos about it.

[@iyikigormusum]

*Have you ever seen a RAINBOW MOUNT? You MUST SEE this beauty! Watch on our channel now!*

[@customer_service1]

Sounds like something, someone would say about your mom

[@hrdley911]

Probably safer than living in Chicago...

[@mightymushroom4980]

There is still people who live in the medium radiated zones, Sam and Colby did a great video on it, I would suggest watching it because it's really interesting

[@CartoonHero1986]

I remember a VICE documentary they did in the exclusion zone with an official guide from the government, and even then no longer under the Soviet Silence on the issue the guide kept getting upset and snaping at the documentarian when they used phrases like "mutated by radiation" instead of "changed by radiation" when talking about the animals living in the area and why they where dangerous.

[@stillmagic714]

I mean, it's not like our ol' buddy Putin likes actual transparency that much more than the other Soviets...I mean the Soviets.

[@keryeeastin4022]

Fascinated with Chernobyl since I was a young girl

[@lexacomo]

I believe the word you mean is nuclide. Nucleotides form the basic structural unit of nucleic acids such as DNA.

[@kilroy4843]

Life, ah, finds a way.

[@andyginterblues2961]

Montgomery Burns approves of this episode. Says it's "excellent".

[@Dragon_rls]

Yeah. Just the highlights, with your Vincero Watch shaped object.

[@bstives58]

Simon, I think you meant radionuclides...maybe I'm wrong. Love the video!

[@Melody_Raventress]

RBMK is the illest, Soviet Russia make the Illest reactor

[@feeesh4324]

No but why are the horses the most adorable horses I’ve ever seen lol

[@spinymold]

I hope this becomes a permanent wildlife sanctuary

[@ARIXANDRE]

Prypriat is on the top of my list of a tourism destination. I need to see that ferris wheel with my own eyes.

[@dirtbikerman1000]

All you have to do is watch bald and bankrupts videos and see the babushkas in the cez first hand in Belarus. He visits kolya quite often The mad man walks the the exclusion zone and the locals warn him about the wolves. I've learnt more stuff from bald and bankrupts adventures than anywhere else. I've even been learning Hindi after watching all his vids in India.

[@lunagal]

I remember him drinking rain water out of an old tuna can found on the ground in the exclusion zone. Blech!

[@bajaboy27]

Can you do a video on Yosemite national Park? And death valley? Thanks

[@Chemclskinz]

Golden star dude. Love these videos and honestly Chernobyl is so engrossing to me.

[@dancingcarapace]

“Porcupine Enema” I’ve never hated a combo of words more. Thanks

[@stephendoherty8291]

The zone was due to be shrunk in size some years back as rhe radiation was minimal

[@fidoruh]

Not gonna lie that part about the people returning back and now just slowly dying out made really sad

[@MRoderick89]

Apparently there is massive fish in the CEZ too it was shown on river monsters

[@blankenator62]

I think the word you may have been looking for was "radionuclide" not "radionucleotide". A nucleotide is a building block molecule used in DNA/RNA synthesis. I'm sure those got irradiated too, but not exclusively lol

[@seiyuokamihimura5082]

That wasn't wormwood....

[@Zyklon-Bro64]

The book of Revelations connection was beautifully haunting. Im not a religious person in the conventional sense but there is something about Chernobyl that is underlyingly biblical or even eldritch. Dark horrible truths that we humans couldnt and maybe even shouldnt understand

[@alejandrovega8370]

Pripyat is on my bucket list

[@Psiberzerker]

This should become a soft evolutionary bubble. As opposed to a hard Dome where no life can get in, or out, but more like a Filter, so only certain species can pass through. Like the Galapagos (Darwin's field laboratory) it's almost cut off from the surrounding wildlife, because of the radiation. Even factoring out random mutations (Which take generations to roll an advantageous one) the first traits to survive that micro-habitat are starting to develop all ready. As more and more species become resistant enough to return, the unique mix of producers (Plants) consumers (Herbevores) and Predators should basically re-roll the entire biota, to evolve differently from the surrounding environment...

[@Psiberzerker]

Insects, and similar species (Arachnids, Crustaceans...) tend to cycle the fastest, and often have higher Radiation Resistance. That's just the ante to sit at the table. Houseflies live for days, which means they have to reproduce, in that lifetime. It takes Generations to evolve. Insects et-al can go through hundreds of generations a year, while deer (For example) can only have 1 per year. So, insects (Et al) evolve hundreds of times faster than medium sized mammals.

[@coryernewein]

The longer the half-life the safer the decay process is, 24000yrs is much safer than it sounds and is likely part of the reason for the wildlife being able to live there relatively healthy.

[@StoneInMySandal]

People don’t understand that. It’s the short half-life stuff that’s absurdly dangerous. The longer half-life products aren’t what you’d want in your breakfast cereal, but they’re not going to melt your skin off if you look at them.