So the physics of the Fallout universe are noticeably different from our own. The most noteable example I can think of are ghouls. The idea that long term exposure to radiation would lead to anything other than a very painful death is pure 50's science fiction. Another would be the gigantism in wildlife. Lastly i would like to point out the lack of glass, though I don't know if that's just an asthetic decision during produciton, or becuase of a difference in physics.

What do you think?

Untreated exposure to active radiation does ultimately lead to a slow painful death in the Fallout world, at least it does in Fallout 1/2 and the lore where any degree of exposure will gradually make you ill and kill you over time. In Fallout 1 for example, if you're exposed to even a small amount of radiation then eventually you'll start vomiting, later on other more gruesome things will be described in the text box, you'll start taking random damage, and at some point you'll just die.

In Fallout 3 and New Vegas radiation was nerfed for the sake of gameplay convenience, and it shouldn't be seen as an accurate representation of how radiation actually works in the Fallout world.

That makes sense, but ghouls and giant insects do not fit with real world physics. I've never played early Fallout games, so I don't know if they had ghoulification in those games, but I'm pretty sure giant insects were there... right?

Also I'd like to know what Radaway is. Is it a super drug that removes tumors or does it somehow remove the cellular and molecular damage done by ionizing radiation?

Lets not forget the amount of damage you can take before dying.Seems like everyone is super strong.

Ghouls existed back then too, but they were rarer and if I remember correctly they (along with all mutations) are caused by a combination of radiation damage and FEV released into the atmosphere during the Great War. The Forced Evolutionary Virus and giant insects certainly don't fit into real world physics, this is where 'SCIENCE!' comes in, but radiation alone seems to function much the same in the Fallout world's lore as it does in ours.

As for Radaway, I'm not sure how it's supposed to work from a scientific standpoint. It's basically just meant to be the Cure Poison potion of the Fallout world, so I don't think we're supposed to think about it (and Black Isle probably didn't think too hard about it themselves). That's a good question though.

Ah. I hadn't thought about the F.E.V., I thought that was only released after the Great War. I suppose that could explain the mutations in the watseland, though I was sure ghouls came from exposure to radiation. oh well.

I don't know why but the lack of glass in the Fallout universe bugs me. Nuclear bombs release a massive heat and pressure wave, this can turn sand into glass. It seems like with all the bombs that detonated in the Fallout universe there should be whole fields that are nothing but glass. I know it wouldn't happen for every detonation (soil compistion and proximity to the bomb would play key roles in that) but it seemes like we should see something. I don't know if that's just an asthetic thing, or an oversight, or they just want to put it in. either way it still bugs me.

@ Ace Hanlon: That seems more like a gameplay mechanic. The game wouldn't be as much fun if I died every time someone whot me. Or if I had to spend the rest of the game on crutches becuase a mine blew my leg off.

Regarding Rad-Away: If you look at the picture of it, it's an IV bag. So most likely it's some kind of chemical that bonds to the radioactive materials in your system through your blood, and takes it away via vomitting/excretion. Excretion most likely, because in F2 there's a guy you can give Radaway to who says that it gave him the runs real bad.