 We move, we eat, we heal, we admire, we go through our lives mostly unaware of what's happening behind the scenes to make things safer, cleaner and more beautiful. We can't always see them but the wires and cables in our cars, household appliances and electronic devices are working hard. These materials need to be heat tolerant and tough enough to perform under harsh conditions. Electron beam irradiation, or e-beam for short, is used to make them stronger and more resistant to chemicals and fire. An accelerator creates a beam of electrons. These hit the material and cause changes in its structure. A comparison test shows the difference between the non-irradiated and irradiated cables. At this busy e-beam facility, around 200 kilometres of cables are irradiated every day. These will be used for car ignitions. In the field of medical care, sterilisation is vital. The process protects the patients from infection. One safe and cost-effective sanitisation method is irradiation. The powerful gamma rays of a radioactive source can kill the bacteria and viruses that can lead to serious diseases, even death. It's used to sterilise more than 40% of all single-use medical devices, such as syringes and gloves. Gamma irradiation is also being used by many tissue banks worldwide. These are places where tissues are donated, stored and eventually used for transplants. The use of non-sterile tissues in surgery could be life-threatening for the patient. Radiation leads to complete sterility, because every cavity is reached. After irradiation, the products are ready to use for transplants. We need and enjoy food. But food should not only be tasty, it needs to be sufficient and safe. Insects, fungi and harmful bacteria can be found in food. These can cause food poisoning and decay. Over 60 countries worldwide use irradiation to treat food. It destroys contaminants and extends the shelf life of food by killing the mould that rots it. Irradiated food is safe to eat, and there's no change in colour or taste. Safety in transportation and industry is paramount. Faults in cranes, planes, cars or bridges can lead to disasters. Non-destructive testing techniques that rely on radiation have become indispensable tools for all manufacturing industries and civil engineering. These tools are used to control the quality of components, machinery and structures. Radiography is routinely used to ensure the safety of planes. With the help of x-rays, technicians can discover cracks, corrosion or loose fittings without having to dismantle the machines. X-rays are used to perform quality controls on building materials. Defects can be detected before construction even starts. And radiography can make sure that welds in pipes are still tight. In the shipping industry, safety below the surface of the water is as important as above. Here, a device known as a nucleonic gauge uses x-rays to measure the density of mud at the bottom of the sea. Due to sea streams, weather conditions and construction work in ports, the mud layer is constantly changing. When the mud is too high, it poses a safety risk for the ships. The data captured by the gauge is used to compile a map showing the different depths of the mud. The areas that appear in red need dredging. Wastewater from industry is highly contaminated with various chemicals, often toxic. One main area of concern are the chemicals in the wastewater from textile dyeing. Some countries already use electron beam irradiation to treat it. Others are developing this technique for future use. Electron beams break down the chemicals into smaller fragments. This makes wastewater cleaner and clearer as can be seen in the tube on the right and safer when pumped into rivers and seas. Artifacts form an important part of a country's cultural heritage. They're inherited from the past, admired in the present and need to be preserved for the future. Over the years, these precious objects are subjected to environmental and physical damage. Radiation techniques are being increasingly used throughout the world to preserve them. Gamma irradiation can clear works of art of insects and mould without the use of chemicals. They can be returned to museums and churches straight after the process, free of the pests that could have destroyed them or infested other wooden objects. Radiography techniques allow experts to see what's happening inside artefacts. This CT scan gives information about the internal damage in the 17th century statue. To find out what type of pigments or metals the artists of the past used, X-ray fluorescence or simply XRF is a useful tool. A device can record digital images that contain a wealth of information. This helps restorers to renovate the works of art in an authentic way. Every second of every day, people all over the world are benefiting from the use of radiation technologies. Look around. You are too.