like a scale, but for atoms?

dosimetry /dɒʊˈsɪm.ə.tri/ n.

Sitting in an inner-cubicle on the second floor of a library, I’m admittedly piddling my time away; taking surveys on “FreeCash.com”— every bit as sketchy as it sounds. It is legit, though, and hasn’t yet stolen my social or loaded malware onto my computer. I’m making about $1 an hour, which is better than nothing, since I still have no job. I still have plenty of hours, I hope.

It’s a curious habit of mine to always sit in the QA section of libraries, which, in the Congressional Library System, houses books about radiation and dosimetry. Admittedly, $1 an hour becomes less appealing when surrounded by books about science. This is where today’s word comes from.

Dosimetry, according to Wiktionary, is the measurement of doses, especially of ionizing radiation. I love dosimetry. The word evokes images of various crude trinkets used to measure radiation. It’s important to measure, as knowing the dosage can help predict health outcomes after exposure to radioactive materials. This gives us better ground for early diagnosis of cancer and the like. I’m particularly distracted by a book titled “National and International Standardization of Radiation Dosimetry”— long-winded name, but an important work which I’ve seen referenced many times.

It interests me more than 10-cent surveys, but I ignore it, for the logical thought that I need money more than knowledge.