9 Little-Known Science Facts That Make Fallout Even Cooler

5. Ghouls - Radiation Sickness

Radiation is sort of like the science fiction version of fairy magic when it comes to creating mutants, whether they have special powers or horrible disfigurements. Whilst the idea of nuclear fallout creating a shambling race of immortal mutants is unlikely, the reality is that radiation does cause genetic mutation, so the idea is not completely off the table.

Aging and death in normal humans is generally brought about by the shortening of a part of your chromosomes called telomeres. Perhaps it's possible that the mutations brought about by the nuclear fallout of the Great War would prevent the telomeres from shortening, meaning that cells that are replicated can be replicated indefinitely.

It might also explain why cells that don't reproduce, or at least not as prolifically, would slowly die off. Do you know what kinds of cells do this? Brain cells. This could well serve as an explanation as to why Ghouls' brains seem to slowly rot away.

Immortality comes at a cost, however, as the Ghouls aren't exactly going to win any beauty pageants.

As well as maybe-possibly-hypothetically damaging chromosomes in a specific immortality-causing way, it also causes damage that would cause the hair to fall out and the skin to blister and ulcerate. We call this radiation sickness, they call them Ghouls.