Just when you thought it was safe to become a planet-hopping space cadet, it turns out that electrons (of all things) pose a real danger in the radiation belts that surround planet Earth.   

In case you didn't know, electrons are the subatomic particles, that, when suitably directed, make every modern gizmo work - from iPods & iPhones to washing machines and high-speed trains. If you are a jobbing electronics engineer like me, to be told they might be dangerous is like being told that your well-trained, perfectly behaved pet chihuahua has morphed into gigantic white shark, with the appetite of a killer whale!