A dirty bomb is a radiological weapon but unlike a nuclear bomb, its purpose is to contaminate rather than destroy. It uses normal explosives to disperse radioactive materials in the local environment, creating a hazard to health that could last for years unless cleaned up. The relative ease of making such a bomb means it is a potent terrorist weapon but Horizon's investigation shows that the risk to health from most such devices need not be great. It also underlines the need for governments to act to secure radioactive sources from falling into criminal hands. Horizon deliberately avoids outlining the production process in any detail. Horizon publishes the results of specially commissioned research, modelling two possible dirty bomb scenarios: attacks on either London or Washington DC. The main conclusion is that the health risks from a dirty bomb explosion are localised to people who are close to the incident or are in contact with the contamination. Although the modelled attack scenarios could have wide-ranging economic repercussions, the majority of the population of either capital city would have only a negligible increase in their risk of developing cancer.
| Title | Horizon - Season 40 Episode 4 : Dirty Bomb |
|---|---|
| Alternative Titles | BBC Horizon |
| Subtitle Available |
 ETC.
|
| First Air Date | 1964-02-04 |
| Last Air Date | 2024-07-22 |
| Number of Episodes | 1169 |
| Number of Seasons | 60 |
| Genres | Documentary, |
| Networks | BBC Two, |
| Casts | |
| Plot Keywords | , |
Episodes List
-
Horizon Season 40 :Episode 1 The Mystery Of Easter Island The Mystery Of Easter Island
2003-01-09Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
-
Horizon Season 40 :Episode 2 Living Nightmare Living Nightmare
2003-01-16Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
-
Horizon Season 40 :Episode 3 Averting Armageddon Averting Armageddon
2003-01-23Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
-
Horizon Season 40 :Episode 4 Dirty Bomb Dirty Bomb
2003-01-30Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
-
Horizon Season 40 :Episode 5 Sexual Chemistry (Update) Sexual Chemistry (Update)
2003-02-13Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
-
Horizon Season 40 :Episode 6 The Day We Learned To Think The Day We Learned To Think
2003-02-20Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
-
Horizon Season 40 :Episode 7 Trial and Error Trial and Error
2003-02-27Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
-
Horizon Season 40 :Episode 8 Earthquake Storms Earthquake Storms
2003-03-06Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
-
Horizon Season 40 :Episode 9 Life On Mars (Update) Life On Mars (Update)
2003-03-27Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
-
Horizon Season 40 :Episode 10 The Secret Life Of Caves The Secret Life Of Caves
2003-04-03Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
-
Horizon Season 40 :Episode 11 God On The Brain God On The Brain
2003-04-17Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
-
Horizon Season 40 :Episode 12 Flight 587 Flight 587
2003-05-08Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
-
Horizon Season 40 :Episode 13 SARS: The True Story SARS: The True Story
2003-05-29Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
-
Horizon Season 40 :Episode 14 The Big Chill The Big Chill
2003-11-13Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
-
Horizon Season 40 :Episode 15 The Bible Code The Bible Code
2003-11-20Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
-
Horizon Season 40 :Episode 16 Last Flight of the Columbia Last Flight of the Columbia
2003-11-27Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
-
Horizon Season 40 :Episode 17 The Hunt for an AIDS Vaccine The Hunt for an AIDS Vaccine
2003-12-04Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
-
Horizon Season 40 :Episode 18 Percy Pilcher's Flying Machine Percy Pilcher's Flying Machine
2003-12-11Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
-
Horizon Season 40 :Episode 19 Time Trip Time Trip
2003-12-18Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
