No One Saw It Coming Radium Girls: The Glow in the Dark Women Who Changed Everything
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Aug 11, 2025 
Kate Moore, a renowned author focusing on history and true crime, shares the heartbreaking tale of the Radium Girls, young women whose glamorous jobs during WW2 led to devastating health effects. She recounts their unexpected fight against a billion-dollar industry that condemned them to suffering. The podcast discusses their resilience, the allure of radium as a health miracle, and the dark reality behind it. Moore emphasizes how the Radium Girls’ struggle for justice brought about significant changes in labor laws, leaving a lasting legacy for future generations.
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Glamorous Glow-In-The-Dark Work
- Radium dial painting offered young women glamorous, high-paying wartime jobs.
- Workers covered in glow-in-the-dark dust proudly wore party frocks and practised painting skills.
Radium Was Marketed As A Miracle
- Entrepreneurs marketed radium as a health and beauty miracle across consumer products.
- People even drank radium water and used radium toothpaste, normalising everyday exposure.
Early Evidence Was Ignored For Profit
- Early scientists already saw radium destroy human tissue at the turn of the century.
- Firms then funded biased research claiming small doses were safe to protect profits.
