Dirty Bomb

A dirty bomb is an explosive designed to spread dangerous radioactive material over a wide area. When people hear "bomb" and "radioactive" in the ­same sentence, their minds jump to nuclear war pretty quickly. But it turns out that a dirty bomb's primary destructive power would probably be panic, not radiation damage.

A dirty bomb is much closer in power to an ordinary explosive than it is to the widespread destructive force of a nuclear bomb. But the fear of contamination could be debilitating, in the same way that 2001's anthrax scare in the United States terrorized much of the American populace, even though only a few people were infected.

How would a 'Dirty Bomb' work? Where could terrorists obtain the material to make a 'D.B.?' What is the destructive power of a 'D.B.' compared to a conventional 'A-bomb?' How can we protect against this threat?

Are terrorists the only ones to have utilized this type of weapon? The answer may surprise you.

Can you diffuse the threat before its too late?! Take the 'Dirty Bomb' Quiz!