From the moment we split the atom, we have feared it will be our undoing. Films like Godzilla and Planet of the Apes are parables about the perils of nuclear experimentation. Names like Three Mile Island and Fukushima are reminders that the dangers are real, and just one of many reasons to ask: are we making the world better or worse? A survey of mammals in the area around Chernobyl has bolstered the pessimistic point of view. The nuclear disaster had dire immediate consequences for all life in the area, but this most recent finding suggests that, in the long run, large mammals are doing just fine. They have reached population densities comparable to undeveloped wildlife preserves, prompting the conclusion that routine human activity is worse for long-term flourishing than a nuclear meltdown.